Those Who Dare
by miabria
Summary: Many have heard the timeless story of Persephone's abduction, but very few know the true story. Persephone, formerly known as Kore, stumbles upon the Underworld one day and, much to the surprise of Hades, decides to stay. This is the story of Persephone's immortal life in the Underworld and everything she has endured as its queen.
1. Everything Was Perfect

Everything was perfect. And it was as simple as that, too. Sure, there were a few details that added some bumps in the road, but despite everything, Demeter was happy. It had been so long since she felt this kind of happiness, but every time she looked at the smile of her darling baby girl, she couldn't help but smile also. She made Demeter's days brighter, which also made the lives of the mortals all the brighter. The sun seemed to shine more, the crops grew by the plenty. Truth be told, everything on earth couldn't be more perfect. Everyone was happy, including the gods, for Demeter blessed the earth for her precious daughter, Kore.

Months passed, then years, then centuries. Demeter's baby girl grew to be a beautiful young woman. Naïve at best, but still the most beautiful goddess the young gods have ever seen. Aphrodite paled in comparison to the beauty of Demeter's daughter. Mortal men even dared approach Demeter in the fields and ask for her daughter's hand in marriage. Those who dared often got punished, or at best frightened by the wrath Demeter brought upon them and soon it became known among the mortals that the daughter of Demeter was forever off limits. This rule, however, did not quite catch the ears of the gods, for they still sought after Kore.

Apollo and Hermes were the best known of the suitors that would approach Kore. They would not give up no matter the punishment Demeter brought upon them. Apollo brought the young goddess, in an attempt to be sweet and witty, sunflowers, along with ballads he would write for her and epics of her beauty that were themselves, beautiful. Hermes, on the other hand, was just as romantic, but in a different approach. He brought with him treasures from across the world, items made by mortals that were astonishing beyond belief. He brought her the most delicious pastries and the loveliest of gowns. Kore was torn between the two gods for they both were handsome and both brought her a sense of adventure. Hermes brought to her items from near and far, while Apollo brought to her stories of the most daring of heroes. Hermes spoiled her while Apollo gave her sincere, personal affection. The choice was nearly impossible until Kore approached her mother with this dilemma.

"Kore, dear, what do you want to be married for?" Demeter would often say, "Stay away from those wretched men. They bring nothing but trouble."

And that was the end of that.

Kore told Apollo first that her mother forbid them from marrying. Apollo was heartbroken, surely, but he smiled as bright as the sun, bowed, and left. Hermes was much the same, only he had a crooked smile that was brilliant, but always made one suspicious. When he left, he made an excuse that he had some messages to deliver, and away went.

And that was definitely the end of that.

Demeter and Kore lived on in each other's company, and neither could have been happier. Demeter was glad to have her daughter and Kore was happy to have her mother. They brought prosperity to the earth and the mortals were grateful to them. Rumor has it, that the two goddesses were so pleasantly happy that they would often be seen among the fields with the mortals, harvesting grains and crops and flowers. Kore was particularly fond of flowers, especially those that grew in the meadows and by the streams. They always seemed the healthiest and the most vibrant. She resembled her mother's love for the earth, and that made her all the more desirable among the mortals.

One day, while exploring some woods with her nymph friends, Kore found herself separated from the others and lost. Not lost, per se, but not anywhere she was extremely familiar with. What had separated her from her friends was a path of hyacinths, red as blood. Immediately looking, the flowers would seem stranded, isolated, but once she got close enough to the flower to pluck it from the ground, she saw another, and the string of flowers continued. She plucked each flower and put it in her basket before continuing on to the next until she arrived to an empty clearing. The last flower stood in the center of the field with the woods behind her and a wall of worn rocks in front of her.

After placing the last flower in her basket, Kore looked around the field and noticed an opening in the rocks before her. A cave that looked quite mysterious. With hesitant steps, she walked forward. When she peered into the cave, there was nothing but steps that led down into darkness, never seeming to end.

Kore was scared. Scared that if she entered, she may never come out. She was also thrilled to find such a cave. She had always longed to have adventured such as those of Hermes or the brave heroes Apollo always told her about. This was finally her chance to do something she could tell a story about. An adventure she could one day be proud to share with others.

Taking a quick look behind her shoulder, Kore walked towards the first step of the cave, paused, then continued down five more steps. She heard a faint collision behind her, and when she turned around, the door outside was sealed.

With a deep breath and her head held high, Kore continued to walk down the stairs, fearing what may come, but excited for the adventure that was only beginning.


	2. Behind Closed Doors

The walk down the stairs seemed to take an eternity. Kore didn't think it possible for the stairway to be so long, but it kept going and going and going. It never seemed to end. As she was walking down the stairs, there was one instance where a stone came loose and nearly sent her toppling down the rest of the way. Luckily for her, Kore caught herself, only now realizing that if she had fallen the rest of the way, she very well could've been dead by the time she reached the bottom. Sure, she was immortal and technically could not die, but that did not mean she couldn't be injured.

After some time, Kore finally reached the bottom of the stairs. She took a moment to straighten herself out. She smoothed out her dress, fixed her hair as best she could, and arranged the hyacinths that were still in her basket as best she could. She had lost some and crushed some on her little tumble, so she made sure the fresh one were the most noticeable. She had no idea whom she would meet down here, but her mother taught her to look presentable and approachable.

Kore looked around at her surroundings, noticing the vast cave like appearance of the place. She wanted to tell herself that this was just an ordinary cave, but it was too far underground the be _just_ a cave. Not to mention, the wide river before her with the empty dock looked suspicious in and of itself.

As Kore walked up to the dock, she noticed in the river. Perfectly clear, but also pure black. She knew immediately, upon seeing a small boat with a single figure within heading towards her, that this was the River Styx and she had found the entrance to Hades. Delight filled Kore's thoughts. She had never been to the Underworld, but she heard stories of it no doubt. She had even heard of Hades himself; he was never seen above the surface unless he had urgent business to discuss with Zeus and the rest of the Olympian council. Kore had only been to Olympus a few times with her mother so she had never been there when Hades was. She knew there were many gods she had yet to meet, but found it peculiar that someone as important as Hades, Zeus's very own brother, had never made an appearance before her.

When the boat finally arrived to the dock, the ferryman looked at Kore with bewilderment, but said nothing. Kore climbed aboard the boat and offered the ferryman a hyacinth from her basket.

"Can you take me across the river?" she asked. The ferryman nodded and took the flower, tucking it beneath his black cloak that covered nearly his entire body. The hood of the cloak was pulled over the ferryman's head, so Kore could not see his face.

The boat took off across the river. There were benches in the boat on which Kore could sit, but she decided to stand for she was too far entranced by her surroundings. All in all, the place was terribly dismal. The walls were lit by torches, but they were few and far between. No other light sources seemed present, which made sense considering how this was the Underworld; the most secluded place from earth and heaven there was. The place, too, was a lot larger than Kore originally thought. At the entrance, it was just a vast opening above water, but as she traveled farther along the river, she could see everything.

The boat finally stopped in front of a large gate. It took Kore a moment to realize this is where she was meant to get off. She bowed to the ferryman and thanked him, and as soon as she stepped off the boat, it was moving again, heading back to the entrance. Kore watched for a moment as the boat left, readjusted her wits, nodded her head with confidence, and turned towards the gate. As she got closer, she noticed a large dog standing in front of the gate. It got clearer and clearer the closer she got and she could swear it hadn't been there before. Surely this monstrous dog (with three heads, she noted, not noticing the other two before) must be a mirage set by Hades to scare newcomers. The dog was perfectly still, staring straight ahead. When Kore finally came close enough to the dog to pet it, all three heads came down to look directly at her.

Kore jumped back, not expecting the dog to move. She smiled through her lack of confidence and held out one of her hands.

"H-hello," she began, "I hope you don't mind, but I would like to pass through please."

The dog gave no response and continued to stare at her. As Kore went to pet the center head, it snapped at her hand. Retreating and taking another jump backwards, Kore bowed low. Perhaps the dog wished only to be treated as any other deity, but lacked the words to say so.

All of a sudden, she could feel herself being nudged in the side. She looked up to notice the head on her right rubbing against her. With hesitation, she put her hand on the dog's head and scratched gently behind it's ear. The other two heads of the dog seemed almost jealous, and were nudging her as well, the center head snapping at the one on the right.

Kore smiled and continued to pet the other heads of the dog. The gigantic body of the dog played down in front of her and wagged it's tail, causing a loud _thump_ and a slight shake of the ground every time it hit the floor. Kore stayed there for a while just sitting and petting the dog. She loved animals and was grateful every time one allowed her to befriend it. She finally stood up, dusted off her gown, and bowed again to the dog.

"I really must be going. Do you mind if I pass through?"

The dog laid its heads on the ground and the gates behind it opened. Kore smiled to herself and petted each head once more.

"Thank you," she whispered.

After walking around the dog, Kore stepped through the gates and noticed how they closed behind her once she was through. It seemed as though everything in this place was trying to keep her from going back once she proceeded. That didn't matter now, though. She was't trying to go back, so there was no issue with the ay back being blocked off. She looked ahead, noticing two different paths. One led straight ahead while the other veered to the left. She chose the path straight ahead, walking along the narrow pathway that seemed to lead to the brilliant, yet erie looking palace in the distance. Kore just knew this was where Hades took residence and she was curious to see how the inside of the palace compared to the outside. She didn't know Hades, so she could assume one of two things. Either the decor of the palace was just like the Underworld, gloomy and maybe a bit unkempt. Or, perhaps, Hades took great pride in making the interior of his palace as regal and elegant as he possibly could. It all depended on whether his goal was to frighten of impress the rare visitors that would surely stop by.

Either way, Kore took notice of her immediate surroundings. There was nothing particular about the area; surrounding her was dried, dead looking grass and a black paved pathway. What really peaked her interest was the large door she was approaching. It seemed to just sit there by itself, seemingly unattached from any sort of wall. The walls were present, however, only camouflaged into the surroundings. They stretched so far down either side of the door, they disappeared. Kore could only imagine what was to be found beyond the door. She knew this was not the entrance to Hades's palace. What then could it lead to?

Kore decided to knock against the door. Her mother always told her to be polite. It was rude to just open a door and walk through. Even if one was a goddess, she still had the obligation to respect another's privacy.

The sound of Kore's hand against the smooth wood of the door rang out around her. She didn't knock that loudly, but the door seemed to amplify the sound.

Moments passed before the door finally swung open. Looking in, Kore could see nothing. The inside was completely dark,a recurring theme in the Underworld, Kore noticed. Hades seemed to be fond of the dark. Either that or he was simply trying to convey the mood that the Underworld resonated. Kore had heard stories from her mother about the three brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Hades was the eldest, so it would seem fair that he be deemed the king of the gods. However, after the Titan War, the three brothers decided to draw lots on the division of the world. Zeus got the sky and the heavens, therefore making him the king, Poseidon got the sea, and Hades the Underworld. Demeter had told Kore once that Hades had once been a kind god, but once he was placed in the Underworld, he grew bitter. Kore couldn't blame him, though. This place was so dark and dreary, it was hard to imagine anyone being happy here if they were forced to live here.

Taking a deep breath, Kore recollected her thoughts, and walked through the door. She could see nothing, so decided to walk straight. After what seemed to be a lifetime, she was finally stopped in her tracks by a glowing figure standing before her. She said nothing and bowed.

"What a strange phenomenon," the figure said. He was an older looking man dressed as a mortal king would. Kore stood up and looked at the glowing man. He had to be a mortal spirit. It seemed unlikely to her that he could be anything else.

Kore bowed her head once more before speaking. "I am Kore, daughter of Demeter-"

"I know exactly who you are," the man interrupted with a grimace. "It's not every day one of the gods decides to visit."

"I'm not visiting," Kore said hurriedly. She was afraid of being interrupted again. "I found the entrance up on the earth. I… don't know why I'm here."

"Neither do we, that's for certain."

Kore hesitated for a moment, trying to comprehend just who this spirit was. "Who are you," she said slowly, "and _what_ are you?"

The spirit before her laughed. It wasn't a laugh of humor, but a cruel, ironic sort of laugh.

"I am one of the three judges of the dead," he began, "I deal with the more difficult cases. And you, my dear, are a difficult case."

Kore said nothing, only stared in disbelief. She was a goddess. Was it really possible for her to be judged and placed among the dead?

"You have many questions, I'm sure. All will be answered in due time."

"Might I at least know your name?" Kore demanded. She had a sinking suspicion who it was she was dealing with, but she wanted to know for sure.

The man sighed then gave a cruel smile.

"I am the first king of Crete," the man mused, "known as Minos."


	3. Dealing With Death

Kore was tempted to turn back. She had heard stories of Minos; a powerful and great leader, but temperamental and vengeful. In all honesty, Minos frightened Kore to the bone. Even as a spirit, he still had that cruel smile and that glint in his eye that sent shivers down her spine. She knew he had little power down here in the underworld, but she couldn't help but to be uneasy around him.

"Here is what I shall do," Minos explained, "I will give you a choice. No trickery behind it, I swear. Just a simple choice."

"What are my options?" Kore asked with confidence. Sure she was terrified, but there was no use letting the spirit before her know that.

"I can judge you here and now, as I would any dead soul. If I find you worthy of Elysium, I'll let you through to Hades's residence. Aeacus will hand over the keys and you will be on your way. If I find you worthy of the Fields of Asphodel, you turn right around and leave this place."

"And if you find me worthy of the Fields of Punishment?" Kore queried.

Minos's laugh echoed throughout the empty room. "No god is perfect, my dear, but you are still young. Nothing you have done thus far has made you worthy of such a torture. Even Zeus himself, despite all he has done, has no place in the fields of punishment."

Kore let out a relieved sigh. It was either Asphodel or Elysium. She wanted to believe she deserved Elysium, for she had done no wrong, but Elysium was for heroes. She had never been heroic. Thinking back, though, her whole life had been spent in selfish bliss. She was kind, sure, but she did very little for others, never thinking anyone could be less happy that she. And she was rarely unhappy.

"And my other option?" Kore was uncertain of her odds if she were to be judged. She had very little to lose, but she didn't want to be sent back. He journey seemed to have only begun. And she had made it so far already, surely she could make it to the palace. It was pure curiosity that kept her determined to travel on ahead.

Minos smiled his cold smile again. He was enjoying toying with her, that much was for certain.

"You choose the Fields of Asphodel right now, save us all some trouble. I let you on through, but believe me, there is no easy way through those fields. You would tire before walking even a fraction of the distance from here to the palace. You would be forced to stay there until Hades happens to find you. And that, dear, is very unlikely."

Kore thought for a moment, unsure of what to do. She wished she were as cunning as Hermes, then she may be able to talk her way through, steal the key, and be done with this. She didn't want to walk through the Fields of Asphodel, but then again, she didn't want to head back either. She thought on the matter for a good while, noticing how Minos grew more and more impatient by the minute. He said nothing, but his facial expression gave it away. Finally, Kore thought of a solution. Perhaps she could talk her way out of this after all.

"I've decided," she announced.

Minos seemed relieved that she had finally come to a decision.

"I've decided to be judged," she stated, "Before all three judges. After all, is that not how the souls of the dead are judged?"

Minos scowled. He had not expected a goddess of the earth to know the rules of the Underworld. He had also not expect a young goddess such as herself to be so clever. Either way, Minos had told Kore she would be judged as any dead soul would be, so he had little choice but to allow her o be in the presence of the rest of the court.

Suddenly, two more spirits appeared before Kore. On Minos's left, a man who resembled Minos, dressed in the royal garments of the kings of Crete. This man, no doubt, was Minos's brother, Rhadamanthus. On Minos's right, a kinder looking man dressed in robes from Aegina. He was the King Aeacus and the gatekeeper himself. He was the one who held the keys to the Underworld. He was the judge Kore was hoping she could appeal to the most. Hermes had told her of these three judges and how they looked over the order of the Underworld.

"My lords," Kore said as she bowed, "I wish not to be a burden upon you, but Minos has made it very clear that I may not pass without first being judged."

"And why is it that you wish to pass?" Rhadamanthus asked.

"I know not," Kore replied, "I was brought here by some strange force and I have no reason other than pure curiosity for why I wish to proceed."

"It is not often one of the gods stands before us," Rhadamanthus said.

"Strange indeed, though Hades may be glad for the company," Aeacus replied.

"Perhaps it is not you we should judge, but the matter of the situation itself."

"Indeed."

Kore looked up to the three judges. Minos had been silent as Aeacus and Rhadamanthus discussed the matter at hand.

"Let her pass," Rhadamanthus said at last.

"I agree. Perhaps some good will come of her presence here," Aeacus agreed. "Though, Minos has the final say in the matter."

Minos stared at Kore for a long time. For some strange reason, Kore got the feeling that Minos disliked her. He finally nodded his head and mumbled a swift "agreed." A set of keys were thrust into Kore's hands by Aeacus, and the three spirits were gone.

A path opened up before Kore, lit by lanterns and heading straight to the palace of Hades.

* * *

As Kore walked along the path, she could feel herself tire more and more. It seemed as though the path continued to get longer the farther she walked. Eventually, she stopped thinking of the distance she had yet to travel and just walked. She could hardly focus on anything any more, and soon, she felt herself begin to sway. She knew she would collapse of exhaustion soon, but she was determined to make it to the palace. If she were to pass out, she was afraid she may wake up and find all of this was a dream. And if that were the case, not only would she be disappointed, but she would search everywhere for the entrance of the Underworld. She didn't care how impossible that task may be, if this all was a dream, she knew she would become obsessed with finding the real thing.

Continuing to get lost in her thoughts, Kore walked on, ignoring her exhaustion and focusing on nothing. She hoped to all the gods that she was not dreaming right now. She wanted so badly for this adventure to be real. She had never had adventures of her own. Everyday on the earth seemed to be the same. The days were lovely, sure, but after a while they became routine and boring. This was the first time Kore had ever had anything exciting happen to her.

Just as she was about to give up and give in to her weariness, she bumped into something large and solid. She looked up and noticed the large, black, wooden doors before her. She had arrived at Hades's palace. With excitement, Kore began fumbling with the keys in her hands. Just as she was about to unlock the door, she remembered her manners. Her mother always told her to respect the privacy of others, so Kore knocked on the door. After waiting a few moments, she knocked once again. The weariness came creeping back as she waited for an answer. After deciding that none would come, she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Kore could not believe the sight before her. She was almost correct in her assumption of the place. Everything was dark and cold, but it was well kept, making it look marvelous. The ceilings were high and the hallways so long she almost couldn't see the end. The walls were lined with beautiful corinthian columns with flower like sculptures decorating the tops.

Kore took a few steps into the palace, before feeling herself fall forward. The exhaustion had finally caught up with her, and with the basket of hyacinths scattered beside her, she was passed out on the floor.


	4. The Man With Wings

Kore woke up in an unfamiliar setting. Last she remembered, she had made it through to Hades's palace. Now, however, she was lying in a bed that was not her own in a place she had never seen before. She sat up frantically, taking in her surroundings. The room was rather bare; a wardrobe on the opposite wall of the bed, next to the door, and a small table next to her. The room and furniture were charming. The woodwork of the wardrobe and the table was marvelous and extremely detailed, painted black to match the trim of the grey stone walls. Kore looked at the table again, noticing her basket of hyacinths. The flowers were strewn about the basket, slightly damaged from when they fell out. She remembered what had happened, how she had passed out almost immediately after entering the palace.

Kore got out of the bed frantically, he sheets falling to the ground after her. She opened the door quietly and slowly, only enough for her to look out. Seeing nothing but a long, empty hallway, she walked out. As she started walking down the hall to explore a bit, she was stopped by a voice from behind her.

"Ah," the voice, deep and smooth, said, "I see you are awake."

Kore turned around to see a very handsome man standing behind her. He was tall and dressed all in black. A sword was attached to his side and black wings, even darker than his clothes, were perturbing from his back. The man smirked at Kore's confusion and bowed with elegance.

"Forgive me for being so rude." The man stood straight. "I am Thanatos."

Kore gave a curt bow, still staring at the man. "Kore," she whispered, noticing how weak her voice sounded.

"I am aware." The man chuckled, then continued, "Image our surprise when we found you passed out at the entrance."

"My apologies," Kore replied. Does this mean it was Thanatos who carried her to the room she just came from? It surprised her that she would experience such hospitality in this place, considering the fact that she had practically broken into the place and that this man, this _god_ , was Death himself.

"There's no need for that, m'lady. We find your presence her quite a treat."

Kore was shocked for a moment. She found it hard to believe that any of the gods would be honored to be in her presence. Except maybe Apollo, but he would only say that because he enjoyed dramatics and poetics.

"You seem surprised," Thanatos said with another chuckle. His laugh was smooth and pleasant. Kore nodded, unable to form words. "Come," he said, turning on his heels and walking down the hall.

Kore ran to catch up to Thanatos and fell into stride next to him. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Thanatos merely glanced at her with a smirk and continued walking. Kore looked around the place as they walked down the hall. It was decorated in a simple way. Column lined the walls with doors between them every now and again. Everything was black or grey. She laughed to herself. It seemed so typical that Hades would favor such a dreary, monochrome color scheme.

"What do you find so amusing?" Thanatos asked, yet there was no accusation in his voice. He seemed genuinely curious.

"Everything here is black," Kore stated simply. "Is Hades so afraid to ruin the image of the underworld by adding some color?"

"Perhaps. Yet much of the place is trimmed in gold or decorated with gemstones of varying colors. It's hard to notice if you are not looking closely to the details of the place." Thanatos stopped walking and faced Kore. "Yet I must agree with you. The place could use a touch of life." He smiled at her and place a hand on the door in front of him. Kore hadn't even noticed they reached the end of the hall, though upon looking closely at the door, she could see glimpses of sparkling color in the fine detail engraved in the wood. "Wait here," Thanatos instructed and pushed the door open. Kore was barely able to glimpse the inside of the room before the door flew back and shut in front of her.

Waiting had made her impatient. Kore paced back in forth in front of the door for a while before she got bored of that, then leaned against the adjacent wall, studying the detail of the door some more. She got bored of that as well, and set on the ground against the wall. She stared at the columns flanking the door and noticed they weren't completely black. They were made of a black granite and held traces of white a pink. Kore smiled to herself. This place held more and more surprises.

The door opened, finally, and Kore rushed to her feet. Thanatos smiled at her and gestured for her to enter. She walked passed him and nearly fled the room. Sitting before her in a brilliant throne made up of precious metals and gemstones was Hades himself. She found her knees to be weak with fear for she had no idea what to expect from the god. She felt Thanatos place a hand on her back and nudge her forward slightly.

"Don't be frightened," he whispered in her ear.

Kore walked forward some more and fell to the floor, bowing before Hades.

Hades hadn't been paying attention to the visitors before him. He was reading over a scroll before Thanatos coughed quietly to get his attention. Hades looked up and his eyes fell upon Kore. Thanatos chuckled which caused Kore to look up and see the expression of surprise on Hades's face.

Hades cleared is throat. "I see you've finally regained consciousness."

Kore nodded, not moving her eyes away from Hades.

They stared at each other for a moment; Kore with a sense of caution and Hades with interest. Neither spoke.

Hades looked to Thanatos who nodded in silent understanding and left the room.

"So," Hades said, trailing off for a moment before continuing, "I'm curious to know the purpose of your unexpected presence here."

Kore finally stood, trying her best to seem confident. "I know not."

Hades gave a quiet hum before standing and walking towards Kore. He stopped a few feet in front of her and looked her up and down.

"Demeter's daughter, yes?"

"Correct, m'lord."

"What is your name?"

"Kore, m'lord"

"An appropriate name for a goddess of the earth," Hades muttered to himself. He looked Kore over once more and sighed. "Make yourself at home." Hades's tone was devoid of any emotion. He said these last words as though they were routine. He turned around and walked back to his throne, sitting down and focusing his attention to the scroll once more.

Kore took this as her cue to leave and bowed her head briefly before leaving the room. The door closed behind her as she leaned against the adjacent wall with a sigh of relief. She was expecting Hades to be much colder than he had been. Sure, he wasn't exactly welcoming, but he had atlas been civil. She expected him to be angry with her for entering his palace and his domain without a purpose. Hardly any of the other gods spoke of Hades, so she had little knowledge of his temperament and was surprised to find him so collected.

Pushing herself off the wall, Kore walked down the hall to explore the area some more. She wanted to find Thanatos again and ask him about Hades. Perhaps he could explain to her why Hades seemed so cold and distant. Kore smiled to herself. While she was down here, she would make it her mission to appeal to Hades. The other gods always seemed so afraid of him. What could possibly be the harm in having the god of the Underworld as an ally; perhaps even a friend?


	5. Forbidden Fruit

Hades looked up from the scroll he wasn't actually reading. The room was now empty and felt colder somehow. He wondered if the room had always been this cold. He sighed and rubbed the temples of his head. He knew Demeter would not be happy to be separated from her daughter. However, he was not keen on giving Kore back to her mother. She had brought herself down here and Hades was not going to force her to leave. Truth be told, he was rather happy to have her around. It also came as quite a shock to him to discover she had wandered down to the Underworld.

Hades had had his eye on Kore for quite awhile. After seeing her once on Olympus, he couldn't get the girl out of his head. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he longed desperately for an opportunity to speak to her. The fates were being uncharacteristically kind to him as of late. Hades even dared, that time he saw Kore on Olympus, to speak to Zeus about his infatuation with her. Zeus had told him that Demeter kept Kore close, not allowing any of her suitors to wed her. Hades had asked how he might change this and Zeus's solution was to steal the girl away from her mother. Hades knew he could not do such a thing. Demeter would be furious with her and he was afraid to do anything that might displease Kore. He didn't want her to think he was some sort of monster.

Hades sighed again. Now that Kore was here, he didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to impress her, yet he had a habit of distancing himself from others. He didn't know how to approach her.

"Troubles, sir?" Hades looked up to see Thanatos standing before him.

"None at all," Hades lied, composing his his thoughts.

Thanatos chuckled, sensing the lie, but not saying anything about it. "Perhaps you could invite Kore to have dinner with you. She could be good company."

Hades nodded. "Find her, will you?"

"Right away, m'lord." Thanatos gave a curt bow and exited the room.

After some time spent in his thoughts, Hades got up and decided to make his way to the dinning hall. He doubted he would have an appetite, but he knew he would be grateful to be in the company of a beautiful goddess such as Kore; he only hoped she would be equally as grateful to be in the presence of a god of the Underworld.

* * *

When Hades arrived at the dinning hall, he was surprised to see a vase of red flowers sitting in the middle of the table and Kore already seated. She was looking around the room with fascination, not noticing him.

"What are those?" Hades asked in a soft voice. He noticed how Kore jumped when he spoke and chuckled lightly. She smiled at him when she realized who had spoken.

"Hyacinths," she replied, "I found a trail of them leading here."

Hades nodded. He found it rather odd that the flowers would lead her here. "I like them," he stated simply after a moment of silence. She smiled at him again. He could tell that Kore was tense. She didn't know how she was supposed to act in his presence. He couldn't blame her. Her mother probably taught her to be afraid of his temper. He doubted he could ever be angry with this girl, though.

Hades took a seat across from Kore at the table. She was looking down at her hands, folded together and resting on the table. He hadn't noticed he was staring at her until she looked up and met his eyes. She quickly looked away from him, still unsure what to do or say. He couldn't blame her. He could think of nothing to say to her.

Just as Hades was about to say something, Thanatos entered the room, carrying two plates filled with delicious looking fruits. Kore looked up and seemed delighted when Thanatos placed a plate in front of her.

"So you bring him his food as well?" Kore asked Thanatos.

"He trusts no one else," Thanatos chuckled and gave Hades a sly smirk as he set the other plate down. "Enjoy." Thanatos bowed before exiting the room.

"He seems a good servant." Kore said, trying to start a conversation.

"He does it because he wants to. And he's right, too. I've come to trust him the most."

Kore smiled at that. She looked down at her plate, trying to find a new topic of conversation.

"Where do you get all this fruit?" she asked at last.

"Believe it or not, it grows here."

Hades could tell by the expression on Kore's face that she didn't quite believe that.

"Without any sunlight?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Kore picked up a pomegranate from off her plate and split it in half with ease. "These are my favorite. My mother always grows them for me up on the earth." She picked a few seeds from the pomegranate.

"Wait," Hades said hastily.

Kore's hand froze halfway between the fruit and her mouth. "What's the matter?" she asked, suddenly a bit worried.

"You do know that if you eat anything from the Underworld, you'll be bound to this place forever?"

Kore stared at him incomprehensibly.

"Meaning," Hades continued, "you won't be able to leave. Ever."

She looked at the fruit in her hand and put it back on the plate with dejection. She sighed and looked at Hades. "I'm sorry, but I have to go back eventually."

Hades nodded in understanding. He figured as much.

He stood from the table and moved around to where Kore was standing. "Come," he said, holding out his hand, "I want to show you something."


	6. In The Garden

Kore followed Hades through the many halls of his palace, her arm linked through his. She hated to admit it, but she rather enjoyed being this close to Hades. She knew she should hate him because her mother hated him, but she honestly couldn't find a single thing bad about him. He was the king of the underworld; he kept order among the dead so they didn't plague the earth. He wasn't a bad guy, just stuck with a thankless job.

The two of them stopped walking. Kore was confused. There seemed to be nothing here, just the continuation of the hall the must be around the corner. She couldn't see though because they had stopped just before the turn in the hallway.

"Close your eyes," Hades requested. Kore looked at him in confusion. "Please."

Kore closed her eyes, not sure what Hades was up to. She let him lead her around the corner, not being able to see anything herself. They stopped again and Kore kept her eyes closed.

Hades let go of her for a moment, instructing her not to look. She stood still for a while then began to fidget with impatience. What was it Hades wanted to surprise her with so badly?

She felt Hades latch on to her arm again and felt his breath against her ear as he whispered, "You can open your eyes now."

Kore did so and was immediately taken aback. She couldn't believe this place. It was a garden, just like the ones on earth. Everything was dark, sure, but it all seemed to grow perfectly healthy anyways. There were trees with many kinds of fruits, just like the ones she had been served earlier. There were flower beds places around the trees with care. They were perfectly organized with no weeds disrupting their homes. A path was laid perfectly in the center of the garden, leading to a door. A single bench halfway down the path was placed under a pomegranate tree. It was just as delicately carved as the rest of the furniture in the palace.

"This place is beautiful," Kore gasped, smiling up at Hades. "Thank you for showing me this."

"It's yours," Hades said softly, watching the expressions on Kore's face.

She smiled wider, unsure what else to say except for another "thank you."

"I have one condition," Hades added, walking Kore farther down the path. He gestured to some flowers with his hand.

Kore looked at the flowers. They looked like hydrangeas.

"They aren't real," she remarked, her smile fading. The flowers were made up of gemstones of varying colors. She hadn't noticed it from a distance. They still looked beautiful, but they just weren't the same as the real, living thing.

"Real flowers won't grow down here, but I think with you around they would." Hades watched Kore, noticing the look of disappointment on her face, but also the change in expression with his last remark.

"And why do you think that? I'm not as powerful a god as you may think."

"But you have power," Hades said sternly, "I think you could bring some life to this place. That's my condition."

Kore looked at him with disbelief. "And what if the flowers don't grow?"

"Then at least you tried." Hades was looking at her with so much intensity, so much belief that she even had that kind of power; the power to make living things grow in a place they did not want to grow.

She shook her head and looked back at the bejeweled flowers. Even though she didn't know Hades's motives behind wanting her to grow real flowers, she didn't want to disappoint him by failing.

Kore removed her arm from Hades's and backed up towards where they came in. "I'm going to walk around a little," she said quietly, not able to look Hades in the eyes. She smiled weakly, turned around, and fled the room.

* * *

Kore found herself back ing the dinning hall, sitting in a chair at the table and staring up at the vase of hyacinths she had placed there. She sighed, resting her head on her palm. She was thrilled that Hades was willing to give her an entire garden after only knowing her for a few short hours. Maybe he had some ulterior motives behind it, but she could think of none other then genuinely wanting real flowers to grow there. It's not that she couldn't make flowers grow— she did it all the time up on earth,— but she was uncertain that she had the power to grow them without sunlight and without rain. The trees in the garden seemed to grow beautifully, which was still curious to her, so why not flowers? Perhaps she would ask Hades about it later. She felt bad leaving him without saying much. He seemed to believe in her, and even if just in this one thing, it was more than anyone had ever believed in her before. Kore smiled weakly at that. Her mother had always told her, when the subject came up, that she couldn't go on adventures like some of the other gods did because it was dangerous and she wasn't powerful enough. Demeter was always paranoid in that way. Afraid that if Kore were left on her own for too long, some mortal would come along and steal her away.

When Kore brought the subject up to Apollo, he nearly scoffed and said, "a pretty thing like you? If you went on daring quests, us gods would have nothing to impress you with." Kore found that romantic at the time, thinking it meant Apollo would put himself in danger just to win her favor, but now it seemed so misogynistic.

She brought the subject up to Hermes as well who only told her, "it's not as grand as it seems." She supposed that, yes, if you were to put yourself in danger and travel every single day, it would get old, but what's one adventure except exciting?

Kore sighed again. Everyone told her she was too fragile or too pretty to be exploring the corners of the world. No one thought she could do anything. No one except Hades. He had actually seemed to believe in her. Maybe it was his mere desperation to make this place not seem so drab, or maybe he really _did_ and an ulterior motive behind it, but she couldn't help but feel like he genuinely believed that she could hold power.

She placed her arms in front of her on the table and put her head down. What was she going to do? She was so afraid of failure. She was terrified of disappointing Hades. What if he got angry with her and threw her in Tartarus? She doubted he would do that, but still. She heard stories of Hades's temper. Even if he didn't get angry with her, she didn't think she could stand to see him disappointed with her. She didn't know why, but she wanted so desperately to impress him.

* * *

A few days had passed and Kore had decided to attempt bringing the garden some life. She had taken a couple of the Hyacinths from the vase and planted their seeds around some of the jeweled flowers that looked rather like lavenders. She took care of the flowers everyday, spending hours just watering them and trying to make them grow with her will alone.

Weeks had passed, then, and Kore was delighted to find the Hyacinths sprouting from the ground. They were still small, but they were growing. With excitement, she got up and nearly sprinted to Hades's throne room. There was a side entrance through an almost hidden hallway that she had discovered recently. It was quicker to go that way than it was to walk all the way around the palace to the front. Kore stopped at the corner of the hall where it opened up into the throne room. She noticed Hades was having a conversation with Hermes of all people. She made sure she was out of sight of the two.

"Helios told Demeter he saw her come down here. I find it hard to believe you have no knowledge of this," she heard Hermes say.

"I have not seen the young girl," Hades said, his voice cold. Kore had never heard Hades speak so coldly before. It sent shivers down her spine.

"Please, Zeus sent me down here to bargain for the girl. As I said before, Helios saw her come down here and she has yet to return to the world above. Forgive us our suspicions, but what else are we to believe but that you have kept her imprisoned down here?" Kore had the sinking suspicion that they were talking about her. If that were the case, why would Hades lie about her being here?

"I have done nothing of the sort. I feel for Demeter, having lost her daughter, but I'm afraid I can be of no help to you."

"The world above is dying. Demeter refuses to let anything grow. The mortals are dying, not only from lack of food, but from the extreme cold Demeter has cast upon the earth. Zeus has declared enough enough, but Demeter listens to no one. The earth will stay this way until Kore is returned to her mother."

"Believe me, I like this as little as you do. Who do you think has to keep balance amongst the dead?"

"You, m'lord."

"Exactly. And this fit that Demeter is throwing has increased the number of souls coming down here each day. I want this to end as badly as the rest of you, so if Kore were down here, I'd send her with you right this instant. However, I have not seen the girl, meaning I cannot be of help to you."

Hermes was silent for a moment, analyzing the situation no doubt. Did he know that Hades was lying? She could have walked out there and proven Hades's statement to be false, but she didn't have the courage to do such a thing. She shook away her thoughts as Hermes spoke again.

"I will tell Lord Zeus of this news. I advise you keep an eye out for her. If she is harmed, Demeter's wrath will fall upon you." Kore heard the doors of the throne room slam shut. She carefully looked around the corner and saw no one but Hades there. He was slumped against the back of his throne with his hand covering his face.

Kore took a few cautious steps into the room. "Why did you lie to him?" she asked.

Hades looked up slightly, but did not look at her. "How much did you overhear?"

"Enough," she said firmly. "My mother is killing the earth and yet you refuse to let me leave."

She heard Hades sigh. "You may leave whenever you wish."

Kore walked closer to him, about to put a hand on his shoulder, but deciding against it. "Why did you lie to Hermes?"

Hades said nothing, still refusing to look at her. She stared at him for a while. The silence was tense.

"I think I know why," she whispered and planted a quick kiss on Hades's cheek. "I'll be in the garden."

She left the room the way she came and walked to her destination.

* * *

When she entered the garden, she noticed Thanatos standing above the flowers she had recently grown. She smiled and walked towards him, saying hello.

"These flowers are looking nice," he noted. Still staring at them. "I'm glad you managed to grow them."

"They're still sprouts. Should be a few weeks still until the flowers bloom. We'll see how they thrive when we get there."

Thanatos smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure they'll be beautiful."

He was about to add to his statement, but stopped himself. Kore got the feeling he was going to say "like you," but she knew that was just her mind used to others saying things like that. Apollo, mostly.

She smiled back at him and muttered a "thanks." She looked at the flowers again and frowned. She couldn't help but think back to the conversation she overheard between Hades and Hermes and how Hades wouldn't look at her afterwards. She knew he didn't want her to leave and, quite frankly, she didn't really want to leave either. She liked it down here. Sure, she missed the sun and sometimes her mother, too, but everyone down here was so nice to her. She felt sad when she thought about how she would have to leave soon.

Kore felt Thanatos's hand tighten on her shoulder.

"Is something the matter, m'lady?" he asked.

"Why do you always insist on using formalities? You don't have to listen to a single word I say," she said instead of answering him.

"Perhaps I use formalities because I simply wish to," he smirked.

Kore laughed. Thanatos probably did everything on his own accord. She guessed Hades actually had little power over him and he merely acted as a servant because it gave him something to do everyday other than reaping souls and bringing them to the underworld. She thought about that for a moment, not sure if that was actually what Thanatos did. Maybe he simply decided when someone should die and inform the fates so they could cut that person's thread of life. Is that even how a mortal life worked? She wasn't sure. No one ever told her about that aspect of the Underworld.

Thanatos removed his hand from Kore's shoulder and began walking towards the door on the other end of the pathway. "I'll leave you alone." He looked past Kore and gave a curt nod before exiting the garden.

Kore looked behind her and noticed Hades standing near the entrance opposite of where Thanatos left. She gave a small smile, doubting Hades could even see it. He walked forward some and sat down on the bench that was under the pomegranate tree. Kore couldn't help but notice that every movement Hades made was smooth and elegant.

He gestured to the space next to him and Kore obediently sat down. The two of them sat in silence for a long time, but when around Hades, it was never an uncomfortable silence.

Hades reached up to the tree and plucked a perfectly ripe pomegranate from a branch. He split it open flawlessly and handed half to Kore.

"You don't have to leave here, you know," he said quietly.

Kore looked at the half of the pomegranate Hades was offering to her for a while before taking it from him. She had been in the Underworld for a few weeks without eating anything. She could feel herself getting weaker and wondered if it was noticeable to Hades.

"I can't," she whispered, "I have to go back eventually."

"Not if you eat food from the Underworld. You can stay and there will be nothing to be done about it. Your mother will get over her grieving."

Kore looked at the pomegranate half in her hands, unsure of what to do. If she ate the fruit, she would never be allowed to leave. However, if she stayed here for too long, her mother may very well destroy the entire earth. The gods were already searching for her. Hermes said something about Demeter confronting Helios and Zeus. If Zeus demanded her return, then surely the situation on earth was bad. Why else would Zeus care about her safety?

"You don't have to eat anything," Hades said after awhile, "I'm just presenting you with the option."

He wanted her to stay; Kore was certain of this now. The way he looked at her and the way his voice became gentler when it was just the two of them said it all. She knew Hades didn't want to give her up to Demeter.

Kore looked at Hades and found him staring at her. She looked back at the pomegranate in her hands and took six seeds from it. She had made up her mind.


	7. Reader, I Married Him

Kore stayed in the Underworld for a few more months. The hyacinths in her garden grew perfectly. She wished she could grow different types of flowers in the garden, but she din't have the access to any other flowers. She couldn't complain though. The hyacinths were beautiful. It made her happy just looking at them everyday.

Kore never regretted her decision to stay in the Underworld. She was quite happy here despite being so far from the sunlight. The darkness of this place never really seemed to bother her.

Hermes had come once again, only a few days after she had sealed her fate in the Underworld. He had come again to confirm the Kore was not here. Hades probably would have told him the same thing he had the last time Hermes was here if Kore had not been in the room when Hermes came to visit. He had seemed surprised to see Kore there, despite all the suspicion that Hades was keeping her captive. He seemed even more surprised to learn that she had eaten food of the Underworld. Kore said nothing about how she had done it voluntarily or that she knew it would keep her bound here forever. Hermes seemed sad to see her "trapped" in the Underworld and left promptly, most likely to inform Zeus of the circumstances.

The two of them heard nothing of the other gods until now, when Hermes had returned. Kore was in the throne room with Hades, now with a throne of her own made up of equally beautiful jewels as Hades's. He had told her that since she was here, he could use an "advisor" to help him keep track of the dead souls. Kore happily agreed. She wanted to learn more of how the Underworld worked and was grateful to Hades for giving her an opportunity to do so.

When Hermes entered the room, he had told the two of them that Zeus wished to bargain with Hades for Kore's fate. He had said that Demeter would not accept the circumstances, despite being knowledgeable of the rules of the Underworld. Demeter would not allow any crops to grow until Kore was returned to her.

Hades sighed in exasperation, seemly used to the stubbornness of Demeter. He agreed to go with Hermes to Olympus to speak with Zeus. In his absence, he asked Kore to look over the Underworld.

It had been a few days now and, with the help of Thanatos, Kore managed to keep the Underworld intact. Thanatos told her that he was impressed with the way she handled everything. Very few problems had come up, but she still managed them quite well.

Kore felt pleased with herself. When she saw the throne room doors open she jumped up and was ready to tell Hades just how well she'd done when he returned. However, when she saw the look on his face, she quickly forgot about her own sense of pride and whispered a haste "What's the matter?"

Hades grabbed her hand as he approached her.

"You cannot stay here," he said bluntly.

Kore stared at him with confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I spoke with Zeus and Demeter and we came to an agreement. Forgive us for not consulting you before making the final decision, but what is done is done. We have agreed that, since you have eaten food of the Underworld and are bound here, you will stay with your mother for six months of the year, so she might not completely destroy the mortals. The other six months you will spend down here with me," Hades explained. He watched Kore for a reaction to this news but found none.

"I think that's a perfectly fine agreement," she said after a brief silence. "I like it down here, but I like on earth, too. Half a year in each place seems reasonable." She smiled at Hades knowingly. "It's not the agreement you had hoped for, is it?"

"It is selfish of me to ask you to stay here," he said. "It is for the best this way."

Kore nodded. "I agree, but I do not think you selfish."

Hades smiled at her faintly. "Hermes will be here in three days to bring you back to your mother. I ask only one thing from you before you leave here."

He took both of Kore's hands in his and looked at her. Kore's heart seemed to beat faster for some reason. She couldn't fathom what Hades could want of her, but the way he was looking at her left her flustered.

"Will you be my bride?"

* * *

Three days with Hades seemed to fly by. Kore couldn't express how thrilled she was to be his queen. She wasn't exactly sure if she was in love with the man yet, but she was happy to be his anyway.

When Hermes came by, he noticed something different about Kore. He knew immediately what is was when she kissed Hades before following him out of the Underworld.

"It is good to see you again, Hermes," Kore said as she walked beside him. She was smiling and the air around her just seemed so bright compared to the rest of the Underworld.

"What was that?" Hermes demanded, not noticing how cold he had sounded.

Kore's smile dropped slightly. "What was what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Kore smirked at him, something Hermes had never seen her do in her entire life. "I'll tell you later," she said simply.

Hermes looked at her. He couldn't help but feel jealous. He had been fighting against Apollo for Kore's favor for so long. It seemed almost unfair that she would choose a man she hardly knew over either of them.

The rest of their journey to the Upperworld was in silence. Once out of the Underworld, Kore stopped. She looked around for a moment, not recognizing the earth. Everything was frozen in a thick layer of white. The trees had lost their leave and any plants that could be seen through the snow looked dead. Kore shivered and Hermes put an arm around her.

"I never thought the weather could get _this_ cold," she said as she and Hermes began to walk again.

"'Tis the wrath of Demeter," he muttered. "Come on. This should all clear up once your mother sees you are safe."

The pair reached the place Demeter favored. The field were usually filled with grains and crops, but now there stood nothing but dead land and snow. Demeter was seated on a rock on the edge of the fields, her head in her hands.

"Lady Demeter," Hermes called out to her.

She looked up and upon seeing Kore, jumped to her feet.

Kore and Demeter rushed towards each other and embraced. Demeter cried while she held her daughter in her arms. They stayed like that for a while before Demeter held Kore and arms length and looked her over, smiling and crying at the same time. She hugged Kore once more before freeing her from the embrace.

"Where have you been?" Demeter demanded.

As Kore was about to respond, Demeter cut her off. "Never mind that, dear. I know enough of the details. To can explain more throughly on Olympus. Zeus wishes to speak with you."

Demeter hugged her daughter again.

"We should hurry. Zeus doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Kore and her mother began walking next to each other. Kore wasn't sure what she should say, but as they walked she noticed two things. The first was that Hermes had left them already; the second that with each step Demeter took, the snow seemed to melt a little more and the sun seemed to feel a little warmer.

* * *

When they had finally made it to Olympus, Kore was surprised. She had expected an audience with Zeus, not the entire Olympian council. She bowed to them all as Demeter took her seat upon the council. Suddenly Kore became very nervous. It felt as though she were being judged by each and everyone of them. She looked at Apollo and he gave her a wide grin. Hermes would not meet her eyes.

"I understand you have spent some time in the Underworld," Zeus began. Kore only nodded in response. "Demeter, Hades and I have discussed the matter at length, for it has also come to my attention that you have eaten food from the underworld."

"Yes, m'lord," Kore said, "Six pomegranate seeds, to be exact."

"Which is why we have agreed you must spend six moths of the year in Hades, while the other six you may remain on earth with your mother."

"Yes, m'lord. Hades has informed me of these circumstances." Kore looked to her mother, who seemed displeased with this whole ordeal.

"I see." Zeus looked at her with a calculating gaze. "Is there anything else we should know of this matter?"

Kore froze. He knew, didn't he? She couldn't see how, but then again, this was Zeus. He always seemed to know everything. She would have to say something eventually.

"Yes," Kore said at last, gathering up her nerves, "I married him."

Everyone on the council seemed shocked. Apollo stared at her, appalled. Hermes continued to keep his gaze away from her. Zeus seemed unfazed by the news, but Kore noticed his hand clench on the arms of his throne. Demeter, stood up from her chair in anger, but seemed to be unable to speak.

After Zeus regained control of the council, telling everyone to be quiet and demanding Demeter sit down, he looked at Kore.

"I see," he said again, "This changes nothing of the circumstances. However, Kore will now be known as the Queen of the Underworld."

"Kore is no such name for a queen of the Underworld," Apollo said, his expression having changed from surprised to amused.

"Quite right," Zeus agreed. "And what name would you suggest for such a goddess?"

Apollo smirked, still staring at Kore and replied, "Persephone."

"Demeter?" Zeus asked.

Demeter looked absolutely horrified and furious, but nodded anyway.

"Very well. From this day forward, the daughter of Demeter shall be known as Persephone, wife of Hades and Queen of the Underworld."


	8. The Goddess and the Child

_I finally have time to continue this story, so thank you for bearing with me and I'm sorry about not updating in a loooong time! Enjoy!_

* * *

A few years past and Persephone adjusted to change of moving between the Underworld and earth quite well. It always surprised her how quickly each of the six months went by. When it was time for her to leave for the Underworld, Persephone almost didn't want to, but was happy with her new husband once she arrived. It was almost the same when she had to leave the Underworld and return to her mother.

Demeter adjusted, too, only she was increasingly growing angrier with the circumstances. She despised the fact that Hades had married her daughter and that Zeus did not protest against it.

Hermes, too, seemed to grow more upset with the whole situation. He was the god who led Persephone to and from the Underworld each year and every time he saw her, he could not help but to dwell on the unfairness of it all. He should have been the one to marry Persephone. She would not have even know of the god of the Underworld if she hadn't stumbled upon the entrance to his kingdom.

All in all, every god seemed to adjust to Persephone's circumstances, the changing of the seasons, and the marriage of Hades. Truth be told, many gods found Hades more reasonable nowadays.

Persephone, too, seemed happier. And she was happier. When she was in the Underworld, she felt important and needed. She was the queen and everyone knew it. During the summer months, she was free of her responsibility and spent much of her time with her nymph friends. It was quite relaxing and rewarding, really.

One day, while Persephone was alone by the creek, she her a faint whispering off to her right. She turned towards the noise and noticed Aphrodite half hiding behind a tree. Curious, Persephone stood and walked over the the other goddess.

"I've been trying to get your attention for ages," Aphrodite complained.

"Then why were you whispering?" Persephone replied.

"Look," said Aphrodite, "No one can know I was here."

"Okay…" Persephone was even more confused than before. Aphrodite looked around her and, content that no one was watching, opened her arm arms that Persephone now realized she was holding close to her body. In Aphrodite's arms was a baby, no more than six months old. Persephone gasped and almost dropped the child as Aphrodite placed him in her arms. "Who's child is this?" Persephone asked. Surely it couldn't be Aphrodite's. She would never trust Persephone with her own child.

"No one's," Aphrodite said hastily, "He's a mortal— Adonis— who's parents were killed. He's such a beautiful child, but I cannot be with him until he is older. Please, look after him for me."

Persephone eyed Aphrodite with suspicion. "Why me?" She couldn't help but ask. Aphrodite could have just given the child to another mortal family. She also had a feeling that the other goddess hadn't given her the entire story of her involvement with the child.

"I trust you. Please, just do this for me," Aphrodite begged, "You spend half the year in the Underworld. He'll be safe there. At least for now."

Even though Persephone was suspicious, she couldn't help but agree to help Aphrodite out. She seemed so worried for the child and so anxious to keep him a secret that Persephone couldn't very well say no.

Aphrodite hugged Persephone, whispered a "Thank you!" and vanished. Persephone stood in shock and looked at the child in her arms. He was an exceptionally beautiful child. Surely she could keep him safe for a few years…

* * *

Persephone sat by the creek for a while, just rocking the child in her arms: he was remarkably quiet for a mortal baby. She had no idea how to look after a child and she just sat there trying to think of a way to explain him to her mother. Aphrodite said no one could know she was involved, so what was Persephone to do?

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see the brilliant grin of Apollo looking down at her.

Persephone smiled back and did her best to hide the child from Apollo's view. This did little, however, because as soon as Persephone moved her arms, Apollo asked her what she was holding.

"Nothing," Persephone said, smiling innocently and trying her best to be convincing. As soon as she said those words, the child started crying.

Apollo looked at Persephone in shock while she was doing her best to quiet the child down.

"I have no idea how to take care of this thing…" Persephone whispered to herself. She heard Apollo chuckle and he took the baby from her arms and rocked it back to sleep.

"How did you do that?" Persephone demanded.

"I just have a calming presence," Apollo joked, but soon became more serious. "So, uh, where did you get the baby?"

"I can't say," she replied, "But he's not mine, if that's what you're asking. I'm looking after him for someone."

"He's a mortal child…" Apollo noted.

"Yeah, I don't know the whole story."

"Hm…" Apollo remained silent, still holding the child. "Does he have a name?"

"Adonis, I think."

Persephone and Apollo sat in silence for a while. Persephone watched as Apollo looked at the child thoughtfully. It startled her a bit when Apollo looked up at her and made a gesture to hand the child back. She took Adonis from him and gave a half hearted smile. Apollo still looked thoughtfully serious.

"Maybe I should get going," He said before standing up. He held out a hand to help Persephone up and she took it gratefully. "I'll walk you back to your mother."

"That might not be such a good idea," Persephone joked, "She already dislikes you and she might assume this baby is ours. She'd probably have you locked away in Tartarus."

Apollo laughed and gave a wide grin. "Seeing as how you're the Queen of the Underworld, I'm sure you could prevent that from happening."

The two laughed and started on their walk back to where Demeter was. They continued their banter back and forth and tried to figure out what Persephone was going to do with the child. She didn't know how to take care of it, so Apollo offered to help when he can and Persephone gladly accepted the offer.

* * *

A few months later and it was time for Persephone to return to the Underworld. Hades was more than thrilled to finally see his wife again. It got rather lonely during the summer when she wasn't there; he had only Thanatos for company, and the god of death always seemed like he was up to something. He was an unsettling man to be sure. But now it was nearly time for Persephone to return and he could finally have some pleasant company.

When Hermes first walked into the throne room to announce to Hades that he had brought Persephone, Hades noticed something off about the other god. Lately, Hermes had always been upset to be the one to escort Persephone to and from the underworld and he would say as little words as possible. Today, however, Hermes wore a smirk and seemed rather delighted with something. When Hades had asked him about it, he said nothing more and and fetched Persephone.

When Hades saw his wife, he was delighted, but his delight soon fell as he noticed the child in her arms. He walked over to her in confusion and asked "What is this?"

Persephone wouldn't meet his eyes and Hermes left the room with a wave of his hand and a whispered "I leave you two alone."

"Well?" Hades asked, patiently waiting for an answer. He kept his face as emotionless as possible.

"It's kind of a long story," she said quietly.

"I have time."

So Persephone told him about how someone had visited her and given her the child to look after. She wouldn't say who gave her the child and she didn't know for how long she would have to look after him. Hades was less than pleased with the situation, but was relieved that Persephone remained loyal to him.

"Apollo's been helping me care for the child. My mother, too." Persephone laughed, "I haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing.

Hades had to admit that he was rather jealous of the sun god Apollo. Persephone always spoke so highly of him, even if it was in a platonic manner. He knew Apollo's feeling for Persephone, however, were not platonic.

He placed his hand on his wife's shoulders and smiled at her reassuringly. "The child is always welcome here and I shall help you look after him." He felt like he was setting himself up for trouble, but the smile on Persephone's face made him forget his common sense that was telling him to keep the child out of the Underworld.

"Thank you," Persephone replied, obviously relieved. Hades put his arm around his wife's shoulders and led her to her garden, where she always went when she first arrived for the winter. He would decide what to do with the child later and perhaps speak with Demeter to get her opinion on the matter.


	9. The Fate of Adonis

When Hades found time to visit Demeter, she greeted him with a slap across his face.

"It is good to see you, too, Demeter," Hades said dryly, unfazed the the woman's hostile behavior.

"What do you want from me now Hades?" she demanded.

Hades never made it much of a habit to visit Demeter, mostly because she never appreciated his visits in the first place. Her greetings towards him were usually some forms of minor physical violence or a string of harsh words. It was completely understandable. Demeter never liked Hades to begin with, and she downright despised him now that he was married to her daughter.

"Have you any knowledge of that child Persephone has been taking care of?" Hades asked.

Demeter smirked as if she had just won a battle. "Is it possible that you're jealous of the child?"

"Demeter, I do not wish to play games," Hades replied, unamused, "I have no issues with the child, but it is clear Persephone hasn't the slightest idea how to take care of it. Neither do I for that matter. He is mortal, which requires a lot more attention we may not be able to provide. Do you not think it better that he stay here with you on earth?"

"Of course I do!" Demeter nearly shouted, "I would never want a child to be raised in that gloomy Underworld. I told Persephone to leave the child here with me, as did Hermes when he came to take Persephone to you. She wouldn't listen. Insisted that it was her responsibility to look after the poor thing."

Hades thought this over for a moment. Persephone had some sort of attachment to the child, yet Hades agreed with Demeter. The Underworld was absolutely no place for a human child.

"What do you suggest I do?" Hades asked.

"Oh, you want my help, do you?" Demeter seemed slightly amused by the prospect. "I suggest you pull your weight as a husband and make Persephone feel like you care. All I want is for her to be happy, and for some unexplainable reason, you seem to make her so. Don't you dare make her feel abandoned." Demeter made it a point to jab Hades in the chest with her finger before giving him a glare disappearing into the woods.

Hades agreed with her that in a situation such as this, Persephone's happiness was the top priority.

* * *

Hades helped Persephone take care of the child for the remainder of her stay and almost missed the kid as much as he missed his wife when the two of them returned to the upper world. When Persephone returned with the child the next year, he was holding her hand and walking beside her. The year after that, the child was speaking. By the time Adonis was five, he was running around the Underworld, making friends with its residence and acting as though there weren't a care in the world. He would often sit on Persephone's knee when she was in the throne room and Persephone would teach him everything there was to know about the Underworld. She told him stories of the other gods, too, and would make up bits of the stories she didn't quite know.

The child clung to Persephone like she was his own mother. Chances were, he believed Persephone to be his mother. Adonis never quite trusted Hades much, but after Adonis reached the age of ten, Hades began to distance himself.

It was true, Hades had grown to care for the child to some extent, but as the child grew, he noticed Persephone's affections toward the child growing as well. Persephone seemed to think of nothing but Adonis and would often repeat to Hades stories of how Apollo was teaching him how to hunt with a bow and fight with a sword. Persephone would talk for ages about how she believed the boy could be a great hero. Hades was proud of the boy, sure, but he grew increasingly jealous of Persephone's relation to him.

By the time Adonis was about fifteen, Hades noticed Persephone had left him behind as she returned to the Underworld that year. She was seething with anger as she was led to the palace and ignored Hades altogether for a whole of three days.

Hades finally got Persephone to speak to him, but could not get the whole story from her.

"She took him back," was all she said when Hades pushed the subject of Adonis.

He never quite knew who gave the boy to Persephone in the first place, but Hades could see the way that his absence devastated her greatly.

By the next year, Persephone was more herself and she brought with her a very attractive young man around the age of sixteen. Hades recognized him as Adonis and grew jealous quickly as he saw him bantering with Persephone. He recognized the way his wife looked at Adonis. It wasn't a look a mother would give her son, more so a look of pure infatuation. They looked at each other the way lover's do.

Hades had no proof of the relationship he suspected Persephone and Adonis having, but he noticed how close they would sit next to each other in her garden and the quick places she would give Adonis at the dinner table. They laughed together and hardly left each other's side. Persephone spoke little to Hades and when she did, her tone was much different than it was in the past. She spoke to him with kindness, but without the intimacy they once shared.

The next year, Hades said nothing to Persephone. She didn't seem to mind it, though, because she spoke so often with Adonis. The year after that, Hades wouldn't even look at Persephone, and the year following, he would avoid being in the same room with her if he could.

He grew increasingly angry with her infidelity to the point where he would snap at anyone who mentioned her name.

* * *

When Persephone returned to the Underworld once again, when Adonis would have been twenty, she was alone. Hades said nothing to his wife, but he noticed how close she seemed to crying. He wanted to comfort her, but he was also still very angry at her. He remained emotionless and quiet, waiting to see if Persephone would mention the boy's absence.

"Ares killed him," she whispered, "What was his fate?"

Hades had known of Adonis's death. The boy chose not to be judged and was sent straight to the Fields of Asphodel. Persephone sniveled, but held back her tears. He was lost to her forever. So many souls roamed the Fields of Asphodel, it was nearly impossible for her to ever find him.

Persephone threw her arms around Hades, crying into his shoulder. Hades pushed her off of him, rather harshly, and promptly left the room, leaving Persephone to fall to the floor and sob some more.

* * *

It took many years for Hades to speak to Persephone again. He had learned from Hermes that Adonis had been given to Persephone by Aphrodite, who lacked the responsibility to take care of him. Once the boy had turned fifteen, Aphrodite took him back. Persephone had been so attached to the boy that she fought with Aphrodite to almost no end. Their fighting became so problematic that Zeus had to intervene and granted that Adonis spend a third of his time with Aphrodite, and third with Persephone, and a third with whomever he chose. He apparently was more fond of Aphrodite, much to Persephone's displeasure, and Ares grew jealous of Adonis. Hades understood how Ares felt, but only to a small extent. Ares had taken action and had sent a wild board after the young Adonis and the boy had been killed.

Learning the fate of Adonis had done little to lighten Hades's feelings toward his wife. He still felt betrayed and he still held a grudge. Persephone had tried desperately for many years after Adonis's death to make it up to Hades, but he had very little to say to her, so indeed he said very little.

Persephone could tell how heartbroken her husband was and she felt awful. He tried so hard to hide his feelings under a facade of indifference, but she knew he was devastated. Persephone knew she could do very little to make him feel better, so she all but gave up. When she had returned once again to earth, she avoided almost everyone. She climbed as high as she could into a tree by the river and just sat up there all day. She had no energy to speak to anyone and she knew she would start crying if anyone pressed the matter.

Apollo made an effort to visit Persephone every day. He wouldn't ask her questions as to how she was doing or why she was upset. He just sat at the bottom of the tree for an hour or two and talked. He mostly told her stories of the other gods. He made an effort to make his stories light hearted.

Persephone appreciated Apollo's efforts, but couldn't bear to bring herself to smile. One day, when Apollo had visited, he climbed the tree to the branch just below hers and began telling another story. This one, however, was much different.

"You know how Artemis is extremely serious about her whole virginity thing, right," he began. Persephone looked down at him, wondering where his story was going. "Well, there was this hunter, not too long ago. Orion was his name. He was the only male hunter allowed in my sister's hunt. He respected the women and their oath of chastity and he was incredibly skilled. Well, he and Artemis got super close. They were best friends until one day they weren't." Apollo paused and looked out into the distance. He was unusually serious. He continued his story.

"Well, turns out they had fallen in love with each other. Now, normally I wouldn't make a huge deal out of this; gods fall in love with mortals all the time. But this was my sister. _The_ virgin goddess. If she did anything with this guy and the other gods found out, her reputation would be ruined. She wouldn't be taken seriously by anyone anymore. It may sound selfish, coming from me, but her reputation is incredibly important to her. There may have been some selfish intent, though. I had always been the main male figure in my sister's life, and I suppose I grew a little jealous.

"Anyway, I knew she was in love with Orion, so I did something I regret, but something that was necessary. I sent a giant scorpion after the guy and it backed him into the ocean. He had no choice but to swim."

"Then he drowned?" Persephone asked. Apollo shook his head.

"I told Artemis that there was a man trying to rape some of her hunters and that he was swimming away. Artemis is a great show: she never misses. So when she fired her arrow, it hit Orion. When she went to retrieve his body, she started bawling because she realized what she had done. What _I_ had done. She never forgave me for that."

"What's the point of this story?"

"Artemis may not have forgiven me, but she's speaking to me now. My point is that sometime we do something that hurts those we love and we always regret it, but if they truly love us back, they may not forgive us, but they learn to work past it so that those things don't happen again." Apollo chuckled to himself, but the laugh held no humor. He shook his head again and started climbing back down the tree. "If Hades really loves you, he'll try to work past your infidelity."

Persephone stayed in the tree long after Apollo had left. She thought about what he had said and hearing him say aloud exactly what she had done made her feel a hundred percent worse. She was never intimate with Adonis, but she had favored his company over Hades and made no attempt to hide it. She ignored Hades completely and made him jealous to the point where her relations with Adonis were unforgivable. She needed to make things right with him. They needed to work through this, just as Apollo had said. She didn't know how, but Persephone knew for sure that she had to find a way to see her husband immediately.


	10. The Truth Revealed

Persephone wandered the meadows and the forests for days on end. She couldn't remember where the entrance to the Underworld was. She traveled to and from it every year, but Hermes led her there so fast, she could never memorize the route. She wasn't paying much attention when she stumbled upon the entrance the first time either. She was too focused on the strange trail of Hyacinths that led her there.

This time, however, Persephone was aware of everything around her. She took note of every detail of every path she took. If she managed to find the entrance to the Underworld, she wanted to make sure she remembered exactly how to get there.

Persephone's determination was so great that she went days without resting or eating. She walked none stop, coming upon many clearings in the woods, but none of them held the large expanse of rock she was searching for.

Finally, Persephone grew tired. She sat on the ground in the middle of nowhere and wept. She had been searching for so long and had found nothing. She was just about ready to give up. She threw herself farther on the ground, laying on her back, and sighed. There was no way she would be able to see her husband until winter. She was sure of that now.

Suddenly, she noticed someone standing over her. She could only see the legs of the person and the distorted nature of the rest of the body that came from looking at someone upside-down. She assumed it was Apollo; she couldn't really tell who it was, but she could tell it was a god and he held the same air of warmth and regalness that Apollo always carried. She sighed again and closed her eyes.

"Unless you can get me to the Underworld— which I highly doubt you can— I don't really want to speak with you." The god simply chuckled at Persephone's statement and Persephone sat up, turning around to finally get a good look at the man. She could tell by his laugh that he wasn't Apollo. Looking at him, she knew that he _definitely_ wasn't Apollo.

"Who are you?" She asked. Looking at the god, Persephone could tell that she had never seen him before, but he seemed strangely familiar somehow.

The man bowed before answering, "My apologies. How rude of me not to introduce myself." He stood up straight and smiled at the young goddess before him. "I am Zephyrus, the West Wind." It suddenly clicked why Persephone thought he seemed so familiar. Zephyrus represented the springtime much the same as she did. While she came to represent the growth of the land, he represent the warmth of the earth.

Persephone was confused as to why Zephyrus was paying her a visit. It must have shown on her face, too, because Zephyrus explained, "I was sent here by my master to help you."

"And who might that be?" She asked.

Zephyrus held out his hand to help Persephone off the ground. She took it cautiously and Zephyrus pulled her up. Once Persephone was standing, he replied, "I think you know."

She racked her brain for the names of the different deities. She remembered Apollo mentioning Zephyrus one time, but she couldn't remember the context in which the god was mentioned.

"I honestly don't."

"Eros is my master," he said, chuckling lightly at the look of surprise on Persephone's face. "He took notice of your determination to find your husband and asked me to lead you to him."

"How could you possibly know where to find him?" Persephone asked with disbelief.

"Who do you think led you to him in the first place?"

Persephone thought that over for a minute. Could it be that her meeting Hades wasn't an accident at all? Had Eros really been the culprit behind their marriage?

"Those hyacinth flowers are very special to me. Surely Apollo has told you that story. I knew you would be attracted to them so I put out a trail of them to lead you to the Underworld." Persephone was still in a state of disbelief. When she asked why, Zephyrus continued, "Hades had seen you on Mount Olympus one day and fell instantly in love. He asked Zeus if he could arrange a meeting with you. Zeus gave some very poor advice, knowing your mother would not stand for the meeting. Hades decided to ignore Zeus's advice and went to Eros instead. Eros shot you with one of his arrows, although you probably never noticed. I, then, led you to the Underworld."

"But I am not in love Hades. I admire him greatly and care for him, sure, but I do not think that what I feel for him is love."

"You call your determination here… what? An act of amity?"

"Well, no…" Persephone was doubtful now of how she felt about Hades. She never thought she loved him, but he was definitely more than just a friend or companion.

"Alright," she said, "say I am in love with Hades. So I affections for him are fake then?"

"Now why would you say that?" Zephyrus looked amused Persephone's question.

"Well, if I was shot with one of Eros's arrows, then the love I feel for Hades is fabricated. It isn't real. It's simply a god messing with my emotions.

"While you are correct," Zephyrus answered, still amused, "you are wrong. Eros's affect on you lasted up until your marriage. Your first impressions of Hades were not of fear, which they should have been. You were drawn to him from the start because of Eros's interference. However, once the two of you were married, Eros's magic wore off, yet your feelings for Hades never changed. My master's hand in all of this wasn't to warp your perception of Hades, but to give the two of you a bit of boost. We feared you may not have stuck around long enough to get to Hades the way you have if you hadn't been struck by one of my master's arrows."

Persephone was more confused than she had been before. Why had the gods bothered to mess with her fate like this anyway? Where they just bored one day and decided 'You know what? Let's mess with Hades and Kore today?'

"I'm sure you have many questions." Zephyrus said softly as he held out his hand, "But you have something to do, remember?"

Persephone took Zephyrus's hand and he led her through the forests to the meadow where the entrance to the Underworld resided.

* * *

Hades had been bitter. All the gods noticed that he was much less reasonable than he was before. It had been many years and nothing seemed to improve his mood. In fact, everything seemed to make him all the more irritable.

Hades was sitting in his throne room, glaring at the floor, as per usual. He looked up when Thanatos walked in, but continued his glaring.

"M'lord," Thanatos said with a curt bow, "you have a visitor."

"Send them away!" Hades shouted and continued glaring at the floor.

"Trust me on this, sire. This is a visitor you will want to take."

"I don't know anyone who could be so important."

"Your wife, sire."

Hades looked back up at Thanatos with a hint of surprise. His surprise was short lived, however, and he shot out of his throne in anger.

"Especially her," he bellowed, "Send her away!" Hades stormed out of the throne room and didn't notice as Thanatos wore a smirk behind him.

* * *

Hades headed towards Persephone's garden. He spent a majority of his time there during the summer. Even though he was furious with her, he still missed her greatly. What Hades didn't know, however, was that Thanatos was almost certain Hades would come to the garden, so he sent Persephone there to wait. As soon as Hades noticed Persephone sitting on the bench in the middle of the path, he froze. He didn't know how to approach her. He didn't know what to say to her.

Persephone noticed Hades and smiled slightly. She knew he wasn't too happy to see her.

"Hello," she said softly. She stood up and took a few steps towards her husband. They stood there for a moment, neither of them saying a word. The air around them grew thick with tension.

Finally, Hades spoke up. "What are you doing here?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

"I wanted to talk," Persephone replied. Her voice was soft and she wouldn't meet Hades's eyes.

Hades looked at his wife, his face holding no emotion. "There is nothing to talk about."

Persephone looked up and, for the first time, she was not able to tell what her husband was thinking. She usually read him so easily, even when his face became stoic.

"I wanted to apologize for-"

"You think you can make your behavior acceptable with a mere apology?" Hades interrupted. His face showed little emotion, but his voice was filled with rage and betrayal.

"No." Persephone squeaked, looking away from here husband again. "Nothing can ever make what I did to you acceptable."

"Then I believe we are done here." Hades turned around to walk away, but was stopped as Persephone placed her hand on his arm.

"Please don't leave me," Persephone begged, "I want so much to work past this. Can we please just _talk?"_

Hades could see tears forming in Persephone's eyes and his expression softened. He sighed and walked past Persephone, sitting on the bench. He motioned for Persephone to sit as well, and she did.

For a long time, the two of them remained silent. Finally, Persephone decided to start the conversation. She explained that her relations with Adonis had never been intimate, but also that she knew that didn't make things better. She knew she was in the wrong for treating Hades the she did, and she told Hades exactly that. With a lot of yelling on Hades's part and a lot of pleading on Persephone's, the two finally found themselves at a stalemate. Hades's anger had subsided, but he felt different about his wife. Persephone had nothing left to say and nothing left to explain. They sat in silence again, avoiding each other's gaze.

"So…" Persephone began, breaking the silence, "What happens now?"

Hades sighed and looked at Persephone. Her face was red from her crying, but she had long since calmed down.

"You go back to your mother," Hades said, noticing Persephone hang her head in defeat. "We'll wait until winter and see where we stand then."

Persephone sighed and nodded in agreement. She stood up and was about to say something to Hades before deciding against it.

Persephone had reached the end of the garden's path when she heard Hades say, "Perhaps we can mend this with time."

Persephone left the Underworld then, still as miserable as she had been before.


	11. A Tale of the Unexpected

Winter came and it was time for Persephone to return to the Underworld. Hades had been in a bit of a sulking mood ever since her last visit during the summer. He hadn't expected her visit and he hadn't expected her to be so open with him. It nearly broke his heart to think of how desperate Persephone had been during their last meeting, but he just couldn't let himself forget how badly she had neglected him.

Now, however, Hades was ready to talk more with Persephone. He was past being angry and was in more of a state of emptiness. Not only that, but Hades missed Persephone greatly, despite not being able to trust her as much as he once had.

When Thanatos finally came into the throne room to announce Persephone's arrival, Hades followed him to the garden where Persephone waited. Hades was beyond nervous. He wasn't sure what would happen between he and his wife.

Persephone smiled when she saw him. Not weakly as she did the last time, but a real, genuine smile. Hades's emotionless expression softened and he almost smiled back. Thanatos left the two of them alone.

Persephone was the first to speak. After wrapping her hands around her husband's waist and pulling him close, she whispered, "I missed you."

Hades embraced Persephone back, keeping her close to him. He missed holding her in his arms like this. He missed this affection.

The two stood in the garden in each other's embrace for a long while. Words seemed unnecessary now. Time really had healed things between them.

* * *

That winter, everything was practically normal. The king and queen of the Underworld seemed happy once again and their bond seemed to have only grown stronger. Hades, although he rarely showed emotion around others, seemed much more reasonable. He smiled more (only around his wife) and was never thrown into a fit of range. Persephone smiled more, too. Her presence radiated life more than ever. Truly, everything was the way it should have been.

Persephone left in the summer in high spirits. She kissed her husband goodbye and allowed Hermes to lead her to her mother.

"You seem in much a better mood than the last time I saw you," Hermes said to her as they were leaving the Underworld.

"I am in a much better mood," she replied.

"I take it you and Hades worked things out, then?"

Persephone laughed lightly. "We're better than ever!"

Hermes smiled at that. Although he didn't quite like the fact that Hades had married Persephone, her happiness was still important to him.

The two flew out of the Underworld and before she knew it, Persephone was being strangled by her mother's embrace.

* * *

It had been about a month since Persephone had left the Underworld. Apollo had been sitting by the river with her, telling comedic stories about mortals. Persephone was laughing so hard, her sides began to hurt.

Apollo finally got her to calm down, his face almost hurting from smiling so much. He loved they way Persephone laughed. In actuality, he loved everything about Persephone. He had to keep reminding himself that she was married (somewhat happily) to Hades. Apollo decided he should leave before his emotions got the better of him, so he stood, holding out a hand to help Persephone up as well.

He pulled her to her feet, but the moment she stood, she collapsed. Apollo caught Persephone in his arms before she could reach the ground. He carefully laid her in the grass, desperately trying to wake her up. _She couldn't be dead_ , he told himself, _she's immortal_. Even so, he checked for a pulse and made sure she was still breathing. He looked around frantically, forgetting that he was _the_ god of medicine, and not knowing what to do. He sat by Persephone, cupping the side of her face in his hand. He looked at her face in sadness, not certain what had come over her. The whole ordeal worried Apollo greatly and called upon Hermes to perhaps offer some assistance.

When Hermes arrived, he found Apollo holding Persephone's motionless body in great sadness. He hurried over and knelt down across from Apollo, on Persephone's other side.

"What happened to her?" Hermes demanded.

Apollo shook his head then answered, "I do not know."

Hermes looked at Apollo in disbelief and slight anger. "You are the god of medicine. Why are you doing nothing to help her?"

"I can't heal ailments if I don't know what they are," Apollo replied sternly. "She simply collapse with no signs of weakness or injury."

"Perhaps we seek the counsel of the other gods," Hermes advised, "Something like this is very strange indeed."

Apollo sighed and stood, still holding Persephone in his arms. When Hermes was standing as well, Apollo passed Persephone over, saying, "Take her to Olympus. I'll be right behind you."

Hermes nodded and flew off. Apollo figured that he would seek out Demeter to inform her of her daughter's condition. He knew he would be on the receiving end of her wrath, but he figured it best that Demeter knew everything rather than waiting for her to find out on her own.

* * *

Up on Mount Olympus, Hermes left Persephone in the care of Athena and Artemis. Zeus had decided, since no one knew what had happened to Persephone, that she should be closely looked after. Demeter had come by, but Zeus had stopped her from seeing Persephone. He promised her (and Apollo) that Persephone was in good hands and that they would be informed of any updates to her condition.

Athena and Artemis had been with Persephone for about half an hour when she woke up. The two goddesses breathed a sigh of relief and Athena stayed with Persephone while Artemis went to fetch her brother.

"How are you feeling?" Athena asked calmly.

Persephone sat up and looked around, noticing that she was on Olympus instead of by the river. Her company had changed from Apollo to Athena as well, which she found odd.

"Confused," she finally replied, "and a bit light headed."

"You fainted," Athena explained, "While you were with Apollo. He and Hermes brought you up here. They couldn't figure out why you collapsed."

"I can't say I know for certain either." Persephone admitted. She couldn't recall feeling ill, but now that she thought about it…

Athena noticed the expression on Persephone's face and asked with worry, "Are you feeling alright?"

Persephone held a hand up to her mouth. "I feel like I might be sick," she said quietly.

"You should lay back down," Athena said and Persephone took her advise. The queasiness hadn't subsided, but she no longer felt ill.

Artemis returned then with Apollo.

Apollo was beyond relieved to see Persephone awake. He knelt by her side and cupped her hand in his.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with a mixture of concern and happiness.

"I asked her that already," Athena said. "Give her some space, Apollo. She feels rather ill."

"I have a suspicion," Artemis offered, "that I know the cause of Persephone's sickness."

"How is it that you know, yet I do not?" Apollo asked, slightly irritated that he couldn't figure it out.

"Because," Artemis said, "you know little about the health of women. I may not be as skilled as you when it comes to medicine, but I know mother-to-be when I see one."

The room became silent. Persephone sat up again and looked at Artemis with disbelief.

Artemis wore a smug look on her face, "I even spoke with Hera and she confirmed it."

"You're joking, right?" Persephone said weakly. She couldn't imagine herself a mother. Especially after that whole Adonis thing, she was certain she never wanted to look after another child again.

Artemis laughed and shook her head.

"I am not joking," she said. "Perhaps Apollo will be kind enough to take you back to earth. You should let your mother know that you are perfectly fine."

"Perfectly fine?" Persephone demanded, "You think I'm perfectly fine? I'm going to have a kid and I don't even know how in Zeus's name I'm going to explain the to Hades!"

"There doesn't seem much to explain," Athena said, slightly amused.

"Come on, Persephone," Apollo sighed, holding out a hand for her and helping her to her feet. He made certain she wouldn't collapse again and began leading her away from Olympus.

* * *

Persephone and Apollo were walking through the woods. Neither spoke as they mad the journey from Olympus, but Persephone soon broke that silence.

"What am I going to do?" she sighed.

"What do you mean?" Apollo put his arm around Persephone's shoulders reassuringly.

Persephone looked at the ground, dragging her feet as she walked.

"What if Hades isn't happy about this?"

"It's his kid, too, isn't it?" Apollo smiled at her, trying to lighten her mood.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed again.

Apollo couldn't help but laugh at that. Persephone looked at him with bewilderment.

He laughed again at the expression on her face and noticed a slight smile forming on her lips.

"How can you 'guess?'" Apollo said at last, "I don't take you as the kind of goddess to go sleeping around."

Persephone punched him lightly on the arm and smiled completely. Apollo laughed again, glad that they were back to their usual banter.

* * *

Demeter's reaction to Persephone's pregnancy was a mixture of animosity and delight. She knew something like this was bound to happen sooner or later, given how Persephone was married to a man she almost loved. Demeter finally hugged her daughter, promising to help with the child.

Persephone was glad that her mother wasn't too displeased with her. She figured Demeter's reaction would have been much more severe, but all in all, Demeter was just happy that her daughter was well.

Apollo stayed with Persephone most of the day, making sure she felt in good health and wasn't too worried about her child. She reassured him that she was fine for the time being.

Apollo finally left and Persephone continued sitting by the river. She sat on the edge with her feet in the water. She talked with some of the Naiads for a bit, but they left as the sun sank below the horizon.

Persephone sat peacefully in the dark of the night, listening to the flow of the river. She didn't want to sleep. Not yet, anyway. She was too anxious and excited to sleep. Sure, she was terrified of what would happen with her child, but she had let the shook subside and was now thrilled as well. If anything, this child was sure to bring her and her husband closer together. She was certain of it.

Persephone closed her eyes and sat back, resting her weight on her hands. She sighed peacefully and allowed the sounds of nature to relax her. She was in total bliss.

Persephone felt herself starting to doze off when she noticed a presence beside her. She opened her eyes and looked to her left. Sitting beside her was her husband.

She smiled to herself, staring at him as he looked into the depths of the water, appearing lost in thought.

Persephone leaned forward so that she could better look at his face.

"Were you going to say hi," Persephone asked, "or just wait until I noticed you sitting there?"

Hades looked up and smiled softly at his wife.

"I thought you were asleep," he said in a gentle whisper.

Persephone scooted closer towards her husband and laid her head on his shoulder.

The two of them sat in silence for a short while.

"Is it true?" Hades finally spoke. "I received a message from Zeus that you are expecting a child."

Persephone giggled, her head still on his shoulder.

"I wanted to tell you myself," she said, although there was no resentment in her voice.

Hades chuckled. "And why was that?"

"Because I'm sure your reaction was priceless," she laughed into his shoulder.

He put his arm around her and held her tighter.

"If it makes you feel better, Thanatos got a good laugh from it."

Persephone laughed again. There was a brief silence before she asked, "How is it that you are here right now? I thought you weren't allowed to come visit me."

"Zeus gave me permission," Hades said, "as long as I am gone come morning."

"Hm," was all Persephone replied. It was strange the Zeus would agree to such a request from Hades, but she was glad for it nonetheless.

The two fell into another comfortable silence. No words were needed. Hades and Persephone simple sat together, enjoying each other's company under the warm summer's moon.


	12. It is the Destiny of Mint to be Crushed

True to his word, Hades was gone before morning. He hated to leave Persephone while she was still asleep, but he knew she would understand his absence when she woke.

Hades hadn't slept at all that night. His thoughts kept him awake. He kept thinking about how beautiful his wife was and how fortunate he was to be having a child with her. She was all around perfect, save for some mistakes made in the past. He still held scars from Persephone's time with Adonis, but he tried hard not to think about them. He was more focused now on what would lie ahead in his future.

When Hades had returned to the Underworld that morning, he decided to walk around his realm. He hadn't done so in a while, and he thought it the perfect opportunity to be sure that everything was as it should be while also giving him some more time with his thoughts.

Thanatos had offered to go along with Hades, but he declined, seeing as how the extra company was unnecessary.

Hades would soon learn, as he was walking along the Cocytus River, that Thanatos's company would have actually been helpful.

As he was walking by the river, he noticed a naiad sitting on the shore. He thought nothing of the matter. The rivers of the Underworld had their own set of naiads, just as rivers did on earth. What caused Hades suspicion was the naiad's behavior as he approached. She shot to her feet in such delight, it almost seemed as though she were waiting there for him.

"Lord Hades," she said as she bowed. She smiled at him sweetly. It was unusual for any of the naiads to pay him any mind.

"What brings you down here by the Cocytus River?" She asked. Hades continued to eye her with suspicion. He couldn't quite place her disposition, but he knew there were some motives she was trying to fulfill.

He decided to answer her. Perhaps he was just being a bit paranoid. "I am simply making my rounds of the Underworld."

The naiad smiled wider and said with interest, "That sounds so exciting! May I join you for a while?"

Hades was still suspicious of the naiad, but decided to make nothing of it. He shrugged his shoulders with indifference and kept walking. He stopped in his tracks when the naiad latched herself onto his arm. He looked at her in shock.

She giggled and said, "I don't know my way around, so you'll have to lead me."

"Right," Hades said, not fully believing her. He thought about simply shaking her off his arm and leaving her there, but he was good mood, so he decided to be polite and not make a huge deal of the naiad's clingy behavior.

He walked farther down the river, not quite listening as the naiad talked about it. The only things Hades caught from her ramblings were her name, Minthe, and that she lived in the Cocytus.

He decided it best to just let Minthe talk and offered no words to the conversation. By the time they reached the farthest borders of the Cocytus River, Minthe released herself from Hades's arm, bowed, and explained that she couldn't go much farther from the river unless requested to by a god. Hades said nothing and left her at the river.

* * *

Hades really thought nothing of Minthe. She was pretty, sure, and she had a distinct sweet smell that he couldn't help but notice. However, within a week, Hades had all but forgotten about the encounter.

It wasn't until he decided to make his way around the Underworld again did he see her. She greeted him, clung to his arm again, and chatted until they reached the river's borers. This happened every time he would walk by the Cocytus.

One time Thanatos had actually accompanied Hades on his rounds, and Minthe had acted like nothing was different. She never even acknowledged Thanatos's presence as they walked by.

"I think she has a crush on you," Thanatos mused as he and Hades walked along the Lethe River, already far past the Cocytus.

"What are you talking about, Thanatos?" Hades asked.

"The naiad girl. The one talking to you and clinging to your arm." Thanatos smiled bemusedly, "She likes you."

Hades was silent for moment. The thought had never really crossed his mind that the naiad had _romantic_ intentions with her strange behaviorism.

"You look confused." Thanatos noted the expression on Hades's face. He chuckled slightly, "You really had no idea?"

"What does it matter anyway?" Hades replied sternly, "I'm married to Persephone. Whether this naiad has romantic interest in me or not will change nothing."

Thanatos chuckled again. "The idea is simply amusing, however," his expression became more serious, "if she really is seeking your companionship, you best put a stop to it. Should Persephone find out, I fear she may not take to it lightly."

"I see nothing that needs to be put to a stop. I have no interest in Minthe."

"Your interest is not what is being questioned here. Persephone may be furious with her just for flirting with you."

Hades stopped walking and replied, "You overestimate my wife's anger, Thanatos."

"Then you have never seen her rule your kingdom," Thanatos replied with a smirk. "I have heard some call her 'The Iron Queen.' She can be quite strict."

Hades scoffed at the idea of Persephone being anything but empathetic and kind towards others. He said nothing in reply to Thanatos and Thanatos dropped the matter.

* * *

A few months passed and Persephone was back in the Underworld with Hades. Her pregnancy had begun to show and Hades made a point to make Persephone his top most priority. Anything she needed, he got for her. He never left her alone unless she requested it.

The two were happier than ever that winter. However, Thanatos's warning towards Hades had been stuck in the back of his head. He had stopped his regular rounds of Underworld because he had feared Persephone would find out of Minthe's flirting. He had thought his absence had put a stop to her interest, but Thanatos had come to him with another warning.

"M'lord," Thanatos had said as he walked into the throne room. Hades was alone in the room; Persephone was tending to her garden. "I fear you may have to be stern with that naiad Minthe. She has started boasting to the other naiads about how she is more beautiful that Lady Persephone. She seems to believe she holds your affection. I truly fear your wife's rage should she hear of this."

Hades sighed in frustration. Surely this naiad knew better than to compare herself to a goddess.

"A stop really must be put to this," Thanatos pleaded.

Hades agreed and made careful plans on how he would deal with the issue.

* * *

Meanwhile, Persephone had wandered from her garden and had decided to walk along some of the rivers. As she was walking by the Acheron, she overheard two naiads whispering to each other.

"Can you believe Minthe," one said.

"To think Lord Hades would chose her over his wife," another replied.

"I don't believe a word of it," whispered a third.

"Minthe thinks she's prettier than Lady Persephone."

"A naiad from the _Cocytus River_? Surely Lord Hades does not."

"It's clear Minthe is in love with him."

"But he would never choose _her_ over our Lady Persephone."

"Shh!" One of the naiads whispered to the others as they noticed Persephone walking and disappeared into the river.

Persephone was furious with what she had heard. A river naiad bragging about her beauty and comparing it to a goddess's? How dare she!

Not only that, but gossip about her husband actually being seduced by such a creature? She couldn't believe it.

She walked to the Cocytus River in anger. She was about to start her search for this naiad named Minthe, but she didn't have to look hard. She walked a few feet forward before she noticed her husband talking to a woman who was clinging to his arm. She smiled flirtatiously at him while he spoke to her with indifference.

If Persephone wasn't angry before, she was more than livid now. She stormed up to the pair and forcefully pulled Minthe off of Hades's arm.

"Excuse me," she said in a false calm, "You're flirting with a _married_ man."

Before Minthe could reply, Persephone had transformed her into a plant and proceeded to stomp on it a few time for good measure.

"Now you," she turned to her husband, arms crossed, voice stern, and anger still in her eyes, "Explain."

Hades was in a state of shock. Never before had he seen Persephone so angry and vengeful. Perhaps he should not have taken Thanatos's warnings of her lightly.

He finally collected himself and spoke calmly. "Perhaps you should first tell me your accusations."

Hades couldn't help but noticed the small audience of the other naiads in the water as Persephone's rage increased.

"You go off and start some affair with some shallow _naiad_ and you think I won't find out about it? How hypocritical of you! After the fuss you put up about my affections for Adonis! What, do you think we're even now or something? I didn't want to believe what I heard but I saw you just now! Explain to me what that was! Tell me this isn't what I think it is!" Persephone's shouting turned into sobbing and tears began streaming down her face, "Please tell me what I heard were lies."

Hades sighed and pulled is wife into an embrace. He was silent as he held her, choosing his words carefully. Persephone sobbed into his chest and began muttering about how much she hated him.

"Everything you may have heard were lies," he said calmly, "None of it is true. Minthe had affections for me; something I never noticed until Thanatos pointed it out. I thought removing myself from the situation and avoiding her would put an end to it, but she began boasting and comparing herself to you. I came down here to speak with her and put a stop to it, but she wasn't listening. I promise you I never thought anything of her," Hades gently kissed the top of his wife's head, "you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and no mortal or nymph or goddess could ever compare. No other being could ever hold my affection the way you do."

Hades held Persephone in silence for a bit longer. Her sobbing had subsided and she wrapped her arms around him whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again. Hades released Persephone from the embrace, but kept his arm around her shoulders as he led her back to the palace. She held her head in shame the entire way back as Hades continued to reassure her that he wasn't angry for her accusations.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry about that brief hiatus. Thing just got pretty hectic this summer. But, I'm back and hopefully your patience was rewarded. Also, _freyja0taku,_ it's really funny that you mentioned Minthe in your comment on the last chapter, because when you left that comment, I had already started this chapter. It was like you read my mind or something. Thanks for commenting and leaving me your thoughts (this goes for everyone who has commented) and I'm excited to hear what you think as I continue this story and playing around with the characters a mythological themes.**

 **Thanks again everyone! Have a lovely day!**

 **(P.S. The title of this chapter is a quote I found online. I don't know the source, but I thought it was funny and appropriate.)**


	13. Blessed is Life

It hadn't been long after the incident involving Minthe that Persephone gave birth to her child. It had been a huge ordeal, but overall had gone smoothly.

Hades had sent for Artemis and Eileithyia to assist his wife during childbirth and they had promptly told him to wait outside the room. Hades couldn't help but pace back and forth in front of the door as the minutes ticked by. He was worried something would go wrong. Of course, neither his wife nor the child would die due to them being immortal, but he still had the worry that perhaps his wife would give birth to some sort of monster. He wasn't sure how he would feel if. He was forced to throw his own child into Tartarus.

Fortunately for him, he wasn't made to wait long. When the door had opened, Hades stopped his pacing and tried not to let the two goddesses before him know just how worried he had been. Artemis smiled at him knowingly, but said nothing.

"Congratulations, Lord Hades," Eileithyia said calmly, "your wife gave birth to a perfectly healthy daughter."

"You can see her if you want," Artemis continued, "When she grows older and decides to lead a life of celibacy, send her to me. She's always welcome in my hunt should it interest her."

Hades eyed Artemis suspiciously and she merely laughed in reply. The two goddesses allowed Hades into the room and took their leave. Hades stood in the doorway for a moment, watching his wife look fondly at the child in her arms. He imagined this is much how Demeter was when Persephone was born. At that moment, everything seemed perfect. Hades smiled and tapped lightly on the doorframe to let Persephone know he was there.

She looked up and smiled at him with the biggest smile he had ever seen.

"You don't have to be afraid," Persephone said, laughing softly.

"Who said I was afraid?" Hades asked, walking closer and sitting in the chair next to his wife's bed.

Persephone laughed again. "There's worry in your eyes."

Hades simply shook his head in amusement. His wife could read him like a book.

He stared at the child in Persephone's arms before she said, "Do you want to hold her?"

Hades wasn't sure how to respond. Persephone just smiled and handed the child to her husband. She told him how to hold her without injuring her and watched as Hades became entranced by the child. He simply stared at her, afraid he might wake her by speaking or hurt her by moving.

"Her name's Macaria," Persephone said at last. Hades looked at his wife and smiled again. He knew the name meant "blessed." Persephone felt that this child was a blessing for the two of them and Hades agreed.

* * *

Macaria's situation had been a tricky one for the gods. Since she was born in the Underworld, she was technically bound there. However, Persephone didn't want to be separated from her child just yet and pleaded with Zeus to make an exception. She felt that the child should stay with her and spend just as much time on earth and in the Underworld as she did. Zeus agreed to the terms, but also made it clear to Persephone that once the child grew to a mature goddess, she would live permanently in the Underworld. Persephone tried to argue the point, feeling as though earth would be a far more suitable place, but Zeus had the final word and Persephone was forced to agree to these conditions.

When it was time for Persephone to leave the Underworld for the summer, she felt bad taking the child with her. Hades had grown fond of his daughter, a fact that made Persephone very happy, but now she was taking his daughter away from him for six whole months. Hades assured her that he would fine and that he would eagerly await their return.

On the journey from the Underworld to the fields in which Demeter resided, Persephone introduced Hermes to her daughter and for the first time in centuries, Hermes seemed to actually be happy for Persephone. Ever since her marriage to Hades, Hermes had always been distant, but upon realizing how happy Persephone was, Hermes concluded that his grudge was pointless and he should be happy for his friend.

When Hermes had left Persephone with her mother, Demeter was thrilled. Naturally, she threw a fit about Zeus's orders on Macaria's living conditions. However, Demeter was thrilled to have the child around while she could. She made a point of taking Macaria from Persephone every now and then so Persephone could relax. As much as Persephone appreciated her mother's sentiments, she hated being away from her daughter for very long. She finally understood the devastation Demeter must feel every winter when she herself was in the Underworld with Hades.

* * *

One afternoon while Persephone was relaxing by the river with her daughter in her arms, Apollo had decided to pay her a visit. He sat beside her with a smile and said jokingly, "This one yours this time?"

Persephone laughed and replied, "Trust me, I've learned my lesson of doing favors for Aphrodite." She was silent for a moment before stretching out her arms slightly and saying, "Would you like to hold her?"

Apollo took the child from Persephone and held her close to him. He smiled again and said, "It feels different holding her. There's a stronger feeling of love coming from her than there was from Adonis."

Persephone was silent for a moment, reminiscing about her time with Adonis. She never felt motherly love for him. She felt obligation and then companionship.

"She is very much loved," Persephone finally replied.

Apollo handed the child back to Persephone and asked, "What have you named her?"

"Macaria," Persephone replied.

Apollo chuckled. "How poetic."

"You would know," Persephone laughed.

"If you weren't holding a child, I would push you in the river for a remark like that."

Persephone laughed again and Apollo couldn't help but smile at how beautiful Persephone was. She radiated happiness and perfection. She had the life with Hades he always wished she would've had with him. He knew he shouldn't have been bitter, but he was. He would never let Persephone know that, though.

The two sat by the river for a while, talking and laughing. Persephone told Apollo about the incident with Minthe, which got her a laugh.

The sun was just starting to dip behind the horizon when Demeter came by and took Macaria from Persephone. Persephone protested at first, but was soon convinced when Macaria started crying. She gratefully handed her daughter off to Demeter to look after and once Demeter was gone Apollo gave Persephone a look of bewilderment.

"What?" Persephone said after a few seconds.

"She didn't insult me or give me a dirty look," Apollo said in amazement.

"Sure, but she all but ignored you."

"I must be making progress on getting her on my good side."

Persephone laughed at that, "I highly doubt it."

Apollo chuckled again and stared out into the river. The sun had disappeared and the moon shone in its full glory off the water's surface. Apollo thought about the time he spent with Persephone in the past; how he might have been her husband now had she not found Hades first. Looking back on it, his rivalry with Hermes seemed pointless. Neither of them had won Persephone's affection in the end. Would she have even chosen one of them anyway had she not met Hades? The whole ordeal upset Apollo terribly, but he knew he couldn't let it consume him. She was happy. That was all that mattered.

Persephone poked Apollo in the arm and he looked up at her.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked seriously. She knew something was on his mind. She always knew what he was feeling. Apollo stared at her concerned face for a few seconds before forcing a smile.

"Let's go swimming," he said.

Persephone's expression change from concern to confusion. "What? This late at night?"

"Why not?" Apollo countered, "Your mother has Macaria. It's not like it's cold or anything. Learn to take some risks."

Apollo flashed her one of his charming smiles before disrobing and jumping into the river.

Persephone laughed and covered her eyes. This wasn't the first time Apollo had done this, but she wasn't quite comfortable with the idea that somehow someone could find out about this.

"Really Persephone," Apollo said as he swam up to her and pulled her arm away from her face, "You act as though you've never seem a man before."

Persephone stuck her tongue out at him and stood, dusting herself off.

"Well if you think I'm about to disrobe and join you, I'm afraid you'll have to be terribly disappointed," she replied. She caught herself staring at Apollo slightly longer than she should have and shook her head. "We're not young and stupid anymore, Apollo." A smile formed on her lips before she added, "Well, maybe you are."

"I take offense to that," Apollo said in a mock seriousness.

"Point is, I can't be doing things like this with you anymore. I'm married."

Apollo shrugged his shoulders and turned away from Persephone. "Suit yourself. If you change your mind, I'll be here."

Persephone shook her head in amusement and turned to walk away from Apollo. As much as she would have enjoyed a late night swim with him, she was afraid of the implications that could follow. Someone was bound to find out and gossip. She just couldn't risk it. Not when the scars from her previous affair were still so fresh.


	14. Clandestine Affairs

Persephone raised Macaria well. Years had passed and the young goddess was now a teenager in the mortal sense. She wasn't yet a matured goddess and still lacked the power and knowledge to be fully unsupervised as an immortal deity, but she was older now and close to becoming a full-time resident of the Underworld. Persephone tried her hardest not the think about being separated from her child, but she knew her fate was inevitable. The best she could do was be happy with the time she got.

Hades was much the opposite. Every year when Persephone and Macaria returned to the Underworld, he felt as though he missed out on a lot of his daughter's life. He was thrilled that she would soon be staying with him, but was torn on the subject due to the obvious sadness of his wife. It was a tough situation their family was in, but they made it work somehow.

Macaria and Persephone had just returned to the Underworld for the winter and Macaria left her mother to immediately spend time with Cerberus. The three-headed deity guarding the Underworld had been Macaria's best friend growing up. Persephone mused at how her daughter almost seemed to miss Cerberus every year more than her own father. She relayed her musings to Hades when he greeted them at the gates.

"I'm glad, though, that she is able to find happiness in such a place as this," Hades responded, kissing his wife, "Just as you have."

"I try very hard to hide my emotions. I'm surprised you can even tell that I am happy," Persephone joked, grinning and contradicting herself.

Hades chuckled at his wife's playfulness. He couldn't help but feel as though she were trying to imply that he himself hid his emotions much too often, but in a polite sort of way.

Persephone told Hades of her time with Macaria on earth as they walked towards the palace's throne room. She reassured Hades that he really hadn't missed much and that Macaria was actually much more herself while they were in the Underworld.

"I still wish I could be there for her more than I am," Hades said with sadness in his voice that only Persephone could notice.

"She doesn't resent you," she replied, "if that is what you are worried about. She is actually quite fond of you. Speaks to my mother about you all the time."

"Are you sure it is not the two of them sharing their mutual resentment of me," Hades said with a smirk. "That seems much more likely."

Persephone laughed and shook her head, "I promise the things Macaria says about you are all good. As for Demeter, not so much."

Hades chuckled as he led Persephone through the doors to the throne room. As they entered, they saw Macaria sitting upon Persephone's throne and holding a conversation with Thanatos.

Upon realizing that her parents were present in the room, Macaria quickly removed herself from the throne and acted as though she hadn't just been sitting there. Thanatos glanced over at the king and queen and gave them a look of amusement.

Persephone decided to ignore the fact that her daughter had been sitting in her throne, and instead directed herself towards the conversation Macaria and Thanatos had been holding.

"What were you two gossiping about?" Persephone said with mock accusation.

"Thanatos was telling me about how difficult it is to reap the souls of the dead."

"Surely it can't be that difficult," Hades replied dryly, walking past the other gods to sit in his throne, "I hardly ever see Thanatos doing any work."

Macaria laughed at her father's obvious joke and replied, "Then perhaps he could use some help picking up the slack."

Persephone and Hades stared at their daughter in confusion while Thanatos chuckled and said to Macaria, "Why don't you wait outside? I will speak with them."

Macaria smiled nervously before removing herself from the room. Hades directed his attention towards Thanatos.

"What is this all about?" He demanded.

"Please do not be angry, m'lord," Thanatos began, though his demeanor was not nervous. He seemed almost mischievous, as though he and Macaria had been planning something before the arrival of the king and queen.

"I was speaking with Macaria just now, as well as last winter. She has taken up a surprising interest in the work I do and would like to train under my command. Perhaps the mortals could use a goddess who is much like our Lady Persephone to represent their honorable and "blessed" deaths."

Hades seemed to regard Thanatos's words with great consideration, but Persephone replied immediately, "Absolutely not!"

"Think about this for a moment Persephone," Hades said with a hint of irritation, "Macaria is not a goddess of the earth and never will be. Her fate lies here in the Underworld. If she wishes to aid Thanatos in his duties, I see no harm in allowing her to do so."

Persephone stared at her husband in disbelief, "My daughter will not be held responsible for the deaths of mortals. Even those who died honorably. She should not have to bear such a reputation."

"She already bears that reputation by simply being my daughter," Hades countered, "I see no harm in this."

"You forget, Hades, she is my daughter too—"

"I could never forget—"

"And as my daughter she should not have to suffer the same fate as I have."

The room became silent. Persephone's hands flew to cover her mouth as she processed what she had just said. Thanatos muttered something and excused himself from the room as Hades stared at his wife with shock and a hint of anger.

"Are you unhappy here Persephone," Hades said in a false calm. His face remained stoic, but a warning flashed in his eyes that Persephone best choose her next words carefully.

She remained silent.

"I see," Hades said and stood from his throne. He walked calmly out of the throne room, but when he exited, Persephone heard the door slam behind him with added force. She flinched at the sound and sat frozen in place. She meant none of what she said, but she knew the damage had already been made.

* * *

After Hades had calmed himself down from his fight with Persephone, he sought out his daughter. Macaria was sitting by the edge of the River Styx, watching as Charon carried souls across the river, then retreated back to the opposite shore, then again carried more should across.

Hades sat down quietly next to his daughter and stared into the water of the river. He remembered sitting like this with Persephone on earth when he found out she was pregnant. Silently and thoughtfully.

"You two had a fight because of me, didn't you?" Macaria asked, although her tone made it more of a statement.

"No," Hades said simply, "She can be unreasonable."

"I agree," Macaria sighed, "Just as protective as Demeter. They never let me do anything when we're on earth."

"Listen," Hades looked at Macaria seriously. He knew he was about to take a risk for his daughter, "Learn what you will from Thanatos. I think it an excellent idea for you to become acquainted with the rules of the dead. Before long, you will rarely be allowed on earth. You might as well have a purpose while you are trapped here."

"I don't see it as entrapment," Macaria replied, "I see it as home. Has mother agreed to this?"

"No. She knows nothing of this."

Macaria stared at her father in confusion, "You are planning to keep this secret from her? What if she finds out?"

Hades stood and said, "Make sure she does not find out. I will inform Thanatos of this arrangement and you will begin your training tomorrow." He started to say something more, but decided against it and walked off towards the palace.

Macaria smiled to herself as she was left alone. She could keep a secret. How hard could it be?

* * *

The years past as they always did and Macaria was now permanently residing in the Underworld. She was still learning the proper ways of collecting mortal souls, but she was on her way to having a permanent title as a goddess of the dead. Persephone never knew of Macaria's training with Thanatos, though she heavily suspected her husband was keeping something from her. She learned not to question it, though, due to Hades's temper being more uncontrollable as of late.

The couple fought constantly over the wellbeing of their child and Persephone soon began to resent Hades as she returned to earth for the summer. The first summer without Macaria.

She never wept, though. She was never sad from being separated from her daughter. Sure, she missed her terribly, but her bitterness of the whole situation overcame any sadness she may have felt.

Once again, Persephone found herself sitting by the river with Apollo. It had become their spot over the years. Whenever one was in want of the other's company, they always waited in the same spot by that river; the other never far behind.

Persephone sat next to Apollo in bitter silence, not really wanting to talk, but not wanting to be alone. Apollo complied to the silence, though he tried occasionally to start conversation and received nothing in response.

"It's different not having Macaria around," Apollo finally said, figuring the most painful subject to Persephone was the only one she would talk about.

"I have no say over her residence in the Underworld," Persephone responded, glaring at the water.

"And if you did?"

"Then she would be here now." Persephone's tone should have put an end to the conversation, but Apollo decided to push the subject.

"What if she wanted to stay? Would you let her?" Apollo looked at Persephone and noticed how her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed in an even more pronounced glare.

Apollo sighed, "What has Hades done to make you so upset?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"You seem as though the very idea of him is painful."

"We're fine."

Apollo sighed again and looked up at the sky. There had to be more to Persephone's bitterness than her separation from her daughter.

"We're not fine," Persephone said after a long silence. Apollo looked at her as if to tell her to continue. "We've been fighting. I accidentally said some stuff I didn't mean, but then I thought about it more and more and I started to believe what I had said."

"What did you say?"

"I told Hades I didn't want Macaria to end up trapped in the Underworld like I am."

Apollo was shocked. Never had he heard Persephone say one bad word about Hades or his domain. What could have changed her mind so easily?

"I didn't mean it when I said it. Macaria wanted to learn how to reap souls as Thanatos does, but I didn't want her to. It seemed too real to me that I was about to lose her. But, as the time went by, Hades became distant and we never talked about what I had said. We argued about what would happen to Macaria and I started to _feel_ trapped. Trapped by Hades's irritation and his secrets and his detachment. It just became to much." Persephone looked at Apollo with sadness in her eyes, "When I said I was trapped— the first time— Hades asked if I was no longer happy with him. I fear the answer may now be that I'm not."

"You said he was keeping secrets?" Apollo said. His face was full of concern. Persephone and Hades's biggest issue was that they never communicated as they should. If one of them were to start keeping things from the other, it would be hard to fix their relationship.

"I have my suspicions that he may be hiding something. I have no proof and no idea what it may be. Just mere speculation…" Persephone looked off into the water again and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "You shouldn't have to listen to my marital problems."

Apollo put an arm around Persephone's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"You are my dearest friend," Apollo assured, "I care deeply about you. Do not ever feel as though you can't share your problems with me."

"It seems silly," Persephone laughed without humor in her voice, "You never seem to have these issues."

"I am not married." Apollo was silent for a moment before adding, "Though I have had my fair share of romantic mishaps."

"But you've never been in love."

"On the contrary. I've been in love a few times," He paused for a moment, thinking about telling Persephone that he was in love at that moment. He regained his senses and instead said, "I believe it is you who have never been in love. Infatuation is the term I would use to describe your marriage. You're happy when things seem perfect, but the minute they go bad, you'd rather have nothing to do with each other than work through your problems."

Persephone thought about this for a moment. Apollo had a point, but he was wrong at the same time. She's tried working through her problems with Hades. She'd probably be doing exactly that if she weren't forced to stay away from him for six months.

"Then again," Apollo added, "I know very little about your relationship."

"You're right in that you know nothing. We try to work through our problems, but sometimes the timing just doesn't work out. We have no choice but to avoid each other, that's what you fail to understand." Persephone looked at Apollo seriously and shrugged his arm off her shoulders. "I appreciate you listening to my problems, but I think it best if you try not to fix them."

Apollo silently agreed and dropped the conversation. He sat with his knees pulled up the his chest, his arms and head resting atop them. He stared out towards the horizon deep in thought once more.

Persephone sighed and looked at Apollo apologetically. "I did not mean to offend you."

"And no offense had been taken," was his curt reply. "Tell me something: Where do you think you would be right now had you never met Hades?"

"What?" Persephone almost laughed at how strange the question seemed.

"Humor me."

"Probably alone and desperately trying to get away from my 'overbearing' mother." She chortled.

"Really? You wouldn't have taken up any suitors?" Apollo knew he was dangerously close to telling Persephone how much he longed to be her husband, but luckily for him, she din't seem to catch on quite yet.

"My mother would not have let me marry," Persephone replied.

"That didn't seem to stop you when you married Hades. Your marriage was done in secret, was it not? When your mother found out, it was already too late."

Persephone stared at Apollo in bewilderment. She figured he was trying to say something with all of these questions, but she couldn't quite understand what he was implying.

"This is all theoretical," Apollo explained, "Don't look so deep into it."

"You wouldn't ask if you didn't have a reason to."

Apollo stared back at Persephone and the two sat in silence. Before either of them had realized what was happening, Apollo has pressed his lips to Persephone's; gentle yet full of passion.

Persephone was stunned.

After realizing that the kiss was not being reciprocated, Apollo pulled away slowly, but still held Persephone's face close to his.

"I'm sorry," he said breathily as he withdrew farther away. Persephone stared into Apollo's eyes, still confused by what had happened, but understanding his theoretical questioning.

Apollo sat still in front of Persephone, waiting for some kind of reaction or reply. Upon receiving neither, he kissed her again. Persephone melted into the kiss this time, not thinking about how wrong was. It _felt_ right. What else mattered?

The pair pulled apart from their kiss and it immediately clicked in Persephone's brain what she had done. She frantically pushed Apollo away and stood up, muttering about how wrong this was and how stupid she felt.

Apollo made no attempt to move or calm Persephone down. He simply sat there, watching as she fought with herself over her morality and her emotions.

Finally, she turned on Apollo and pointed and accusatory finger at him.

"Why did you do that?" She demanded.

"You had no issue until you decided it was what you wanted."

"What I want is for my marital problems to be fixed, not added upon!" Persephone was running her hands through her hair, trying to think of logical explanations for what had just happen between her and Apollo.

"This cannot happen," she pleaded with herself, "this never should have happened."

Apollo stood and held Persephone in front of him by her shoulders. "Why can't this happen?" He whispered.

"I'm _married_ , Apollo!"

"Why should that matter?

"I'm faithful to my husband." Persephone's voice faltered slightly and even she didn't quite believe herself.

Apollo thought about bringing up Adonis, but decide it would not help his point.

"That husband you're so faithful to hasn't been the most attentive now that he has his daughter."

Tears began to form in Persephone's eyes. She hated that Apollo was right. Her sobbing soon became uncontrollable and Apollo pulled her close into and embrace. He lead her back to the ground so that they were both sitting and he let her cry. They stayed there for a long time, even after Persephone had stopped crying. Apollo tried to talk to Persephone, but concluded that she had fallen asleep. He felt bad that her relationship with Hades was so emotionally straining. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but feel as though he might have a chance at his own relationship with her.

Apollo gently moved Persephone so that he could lay her in the grass without waking her. He laid himself down next to her and was soon asleep as well.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey all! Don't get too excited about how often I'm posting. I've been inspired/procrastinating on school work lately so I've gotten a lot done with this story. I'm probably going to give myself a break so I can kind of just process what I've written, but hopefully I can get these chapters out on a weekly/monthly schedule. We'll see what happens.**

 **If you're enjoying this story, feel free to let me know in the comments. I love hearing your feedback! :)**

 **Best wishes! (And I promise not to make these author notes a regular thing)**


	15. She That Operates From Afar

Meanwhile in the Underworld, it was a lot easier for Macaria to learn what she needed to from Thanatos. They didn't have to hide their meetings from Persephone, meaning they could meet much more frequently. Thanatos was pleased with Macaria's quick progress and she was soon helping him reap souls full time. Whenever a mortal would die honorably, she would be there to bless the family and bring the mortal's soul safely to the Underworld and ensure their place in Elysium. In the Underworld, Macaria became known as a protector of the Elysian souls.

Hades had just finished speaking with Thanatos about Macaria's accomplishments in her immortal training when he noticed a goddess lurking in the corner of his throne room. He looked at the woman in a displeased silence as she bowed and walked forward. She stood next to Thanatos, who was looking at her with amusement, and removed the hood that was covering her face.

"Greeting, Hades." She spoke in a calm, yet powerful manner.

Hades sighed in annoyance and addressed the goddess.

"Hecate," he said, "what an unexpected surprise."

"It is quite unlike you to come all the way here for a visit, m'lady," Thanatos mused.

"Enough with the formalities Thanatos. We are all friends here," she replied with a hint of a smirk.

Hades scoffed and said, "You may be his friend, but I am most certainly not yours."

"Relax, my dear Hades, I come bearing good news," She replied.

"I see Lord Zeus has demoted you to his messenger now," Hades scoffed. He continued to watch Hecate with a mixture of annoyance and boredom, but he chose to tolerate her presence and hear her out. He was correct in that Hecate's visits to the Underworld were few and far between. She had connections to them, but she was a sort of free spirit and spent most of her time wandering around on earth, guiding mortals to their fates and protecting their cities from restless spirits who had not been permitted entrance to the Underworld.

"What our Lord Hades means is that he is beyond delighted to have you in our presence," Thanatos said to Hecate. "Perhaps I should set the table for a meal?" Before Hades answered, Thanatos left to do just that.

Hecate sighed with an amused laugh, "And you have poor Thanatos as your servant now?"

"Trust me, he enjoys the work," Hades said, standing from his throne and walking towards Hecate. He begrudgingly offered his arm to her, "Shall I lead you to the dining hall then?"

"Only if you insist," Hecate replied.

* * *

By the time Hades had led Hecate to the dining hall, Thanatos had already set out an assortment of foods for them to enjoy. Macaria, too, was seated at the table before the pair had arrived.

Hecate took a seat next to Macaria and Hades took the one across from Hecate. Macaria smiled at the goddess sitting next to her and shot her father a very confused look. He simply shrugged his shoulders in reply and turned his attention to Hecate, allowing her to start the conversation.

Hecate rested her elbows on the table, folded her hands, and placed her head where her fingers intertwined. She smiled at Hades and said, "That's a lovely bouquet of flowers you have on your table."

"They're Hyacinths," Macaria replied, still weary of the other goddess.

"Persephone's favorite," Hades said smoothly. His expression was unreadable as he studied Hecate for a while. "What is it you came here for?"

"Straight to the point as always, I see. And who is this beautiful lady sitting next to me?" She smiled at Macaria.

"Macaria, my daughter," Hades said.

Macaria gave Hecate a small wave. "Um… hi?" She said uncertainly.

"I never knew you had a daughter, Hades. How unlike the gods to travel news so slowly," she laughed, "You would think Persephone would have shared such news with Apollo, who, if I may be so blunt, is a gossiper by fault. He shares everything with his sister who ends up telling Athena and by then Aphrodite has caught word and the whole universe knows what's what the very next day."

"Yes," Hades said flatly, "how unusual."

"I know you care little about gossip on Olympus, but as I mentioned before, I have some good news for you."

"Then do tell already. The anticipation is killing me." Hades's sarcastic tone was matched with an equally unamused expression on his face.

Macaria stared between to two gods, wondering why her father was acting as though he wanted nothing to do with Hecate and why she acted as though Hades was her long-time friend. The relationship between the two was very odd and hard to place. Macaria concluded that they knew each other well, but only tolerated each other when they had to. Hecate had the same teasing way about her as Thanatos sometimes had, but Hades responded in a much more arid manner.

"Alright then, Hades, here it is," Hecate said, "A hero named Theseus is on his way here with a friend of his, Pirithous. They have intentions of kidnapping your wife as their own."

"How, pray tell, is this good news?" Hades asked. His jaw clenched and he became noticeably irritated.

"Perhaps 'good' was not the proper term to use. I have this news for you, yes, but I sense great opportunity here." Hecate paused and chose her words carefully. "You see, Theseus is the hero that slaughtered the Minotaur. His imprisonment here will remove him from the mortal world and make room for a new hero, one Hera has particular, shall we say, "fondness" of. Not only that, but I believe you could benefit greatly from being the god to bring down Theseus."

Hades studied Hecate with suspicion. "Why are you so interested in my reputation and the fate of Theseus?"

"I'm simply guiding you down the path the fates wish for you to take. Theseus is meant to spend some time in the Underworld. He has been led down his own path by Pirithous who seeks your queen. You and I both know that such disrespect of a god cannot go unpunished." Hecate leaned back in her chair and placed her hands on her lap. "That is all I came here to say."

Hades was still suspicious of why Hecate had bothered with a visit, but he had to agree that such intentions of mortals were intolerable. However, he would not act upon them until they found themselves in the Underworld. Hecate was right. Imprisoning the heroes would be an easier plan to execute than sending someone else to get rid of them. They would slaughter any monster Hades threw at them. He nodded at Hecate and said, "Very well. I shall head your advice, Hecate. Now, was there anything you needed."

"Not at the moment, Hades," Hecate replied, standing from her chair. "Until next time." She bowed and placed her hood over her head. Thanatos offered his arm to her and led her from the dining hall.

Hades sat in silence for a moment, contemplating his conversation with Hecate. Macaria sat across from him awkwardly and fidgeted in her seat for a moment.

"She seemed nice," she said, if only to break the silence.

Hades looked up at his daughter and chuckled lightly. "She visits from time to time."

"Do you really think a mortal would dare come down here to try to kidnap mom?"

"Yes, I do believe they will try," Hades said. Slight amusement seeped into his voice as he pondered the situation. "There is no need to worry, Macaria," he noted the distressed expression on his daughter's face, "they will not get far. Besides, your mother isn't even here at the moment. They are nothing but fools seeking a treasure they shall never obtain."

Macaria smiled at that and laughed a little too loudly. "I admire how highly you hold my mother in your mind," her expression became serious, "but I have to ask, why are the two of you fighting so often?"

Hades sighed and was silent for a long time. He thought back to the last few years. Persephone wasn't as happy in the Underworld as she once was. He didn't quite know why. Maybe the Underworld was reminder to her that she would loose her daughter every six months, maybe she knew that Macaria was training with Thanatos against her wishes. Whatever the case, they had been fighting a lot recently and there was no way to hide it from there daughter.

Hades sighed again and answered, "I think it is because she is upset with the idea of being away from you, but I also have reason to believe that she knows we are keeping a secret from her."

Macaria thought for a moment and replied, "I don't want to keep this secret from her anymore. I'm sure she'll be angry when she finds out, but I'd rather she know the truth than start forming ideas that are false. I want to help you work through this…" She trailed off her sentence and Hades smiled softly at his daughter.

"We will fix this, Macaria," he said with sincerity, "I promise."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey all! I figured since I stabbed you all in the back and twisted the knife in the last few chapters, I'd give you a bit of a break. Alright, I have a couple of things to ask/point out.**

 **1) I read on an (unreliable) website that there was some sort of Romance between Macaria and Thanatos and I was never going to have them be romantic towards each other, but I was thinking about it and I thought maybe I'd let you decide. I've created a poll on my Author's Page so let me know if you want me to write a romance for them or not. I can make it into a sub-plot if you'd like.**

 **2)I noticed while writing this that** **I made a huge error in my timeline. I really wanted to incorporate a lot of myths revolving around Persephone into this story and one is where Theseus and Pirithous try to kidnap her. Well, you may recall in Chapter 2 where Persephone appeared before the three judges of the Underworld and one of them was Minos... Yeah... He's still technically alive after Theseus defeated the Minotaur, but for the purpose of this story, we'll just ignore that I guess? I may try to think up an explanation in the story, but for now we'll just leave it as a continuity error. Oops.**

 **Alright, that's all. Sorry this AN is so long. Be sure to check out my poll (it'll be up for a couple or weeks) and thanks for reading! Don't be afraid to comment or PM me if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. :)**


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